MELAKA: The amount of garbage collected in Sungai Melaka will be used as an indicator of the level of cleanliness of this city and the civic awareness of its residents in preparation for the Visit Melaka Year 2024 (TMM2024).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the indicator would also be used as a guideline to devise follow-up actions to improve the level of cleanliness of the river and its surroundings, which are tourist attractions.
“We are holding this Gotong Rotong Perdana programme to prepare for TMM2024, which will officially be launched on Dec 31. We will assess the level of cleanliness of Sungai Melaka through the amount of garbage collected.
“If there is a large amount of garbage collected, then the civic awareness of the people and visitors still needs to be improved,” he told the media after officiating the Sungai Melaka Gotong Rotong Perdana Programme Phase II at Pengkalan Rama Square here yesterday. The programme was held along the 5.2km river, from Taman Rempah to the Batu Hampar Water Control Gate.
With over 1,200 participants, it was divided into eight zones led by various agencies and organisations including Melaka Historic City Council, Syarikat Air Melaka, SWCorp and the Public Works Department.
Ab Rauf said Melaka’s cleanliness was crucial in achieving the target of 18.7 million tourists during TMM2024, adding that he also wanted Sungai Melaka to become one of the state’s tourism products comparable to those in other countries, such as Venice in Italy.
“Melaka was once recognised as the cleanest state and city and we will try to get that award again, hopefully, this year, he said.
