PADANG BESAR – Motivated by appreciation for natural splendour and a desire to see the area surrounding the Bukit Jernih Recreational Park remain in pristine condition, a group of volunteers has taken the initiative to take turns cleaning the tourism spot.
Persatuan Reakrasi Bukit Jernih (PRBJ) president Azmi Ariffin said he and several members of the association began the initiative in 2018 by clearing trash left by irresponsible visitors to the geosite.
“Disposable diapers, food containers, plastic cups and bottles are common items left behind by visitors,” he told Bernama.
Azmi, 63, fondly known as Abang Mei, said that letting trash pile up for more than a day would lead to an unpleasant odour and attract unwanted visitors like monkeys and sloths.
“I am worried that if the area is often littered with garbage, no visitors will bother to come. Why would anyone want to come to a dirty and polluted place?
“Who else will do this volunteer work if not us? Although there are contractors appointed to clean the area, they are not able to do it all by themselves, and this is a shared responsibility,” he said.
Abang Mei said he was glad to see many people visiting Bukit Jernih and hoped it would continue to be a popular location for both domestic and international tourists.
Apart from voluntary work, he said that PRBJ conducted a cleanliness campaign in which they encouraged visitors to either take their trash with them when they left or to throw it into the trash bins provided.
“Alhamduillah, visitors’ awareness of environmental care is increasing, we used to collect 20 to 30 disposable dipers a day on public holidays in the past, but the number has decreased recently,” said Azmi, adding that PRBJ members also took turns guarding the Bukit Jernih camping site at night. – Bernama, June 14, 2023
