Gotong-royong is loosely
translated as 'cooperation' in some dictionaries while Wikipedia mentions the
word 'communal work'. It is an act of gathering together to accomplish a task
which is usually for the mutual benefit. In Malaysia, gotong-royong is widely
held nationwide and it is a culture of the multiracial people.
Today, a gotong-royong was held
in my home town Tanah Merah in order to clean up the surrounding from possible
Aedes breeding. All villagers cooperated in clearing their homes from rubbish
before bringing it to the waiting MPTM lorry at the village mosque.
Refreshments were provided by the committee.
Several causes of dengue fever have been identified by the
authorities. Poor drainage system, among others, is said to be one of the main
causes. Aedes mosquitoes, easily identifiable because of its black and white
stripes on its body, like to breed in stagnant water. When the drains could not
properly flow the water, it gets stuck. This will become the perfect place for
Aedes to lay their eggs. Another possible cause is the dirty habit of throwing
rubbish everywhere. Rubbish containing tins and bottles can hold rain water and
this will attract the dreaded dengue vector. Aedes mosquitoes also like to be
in dark places, so, uncut grass is also a suitable place.
Apart from above-mentioned causes, residents
are also susceptible to this dangerous disease when their homes have containers
which hold stagnant water such as the ant traps and the flower vases. The
danger also comes from the uncollected rubbish when the local authorities do
not timely collect the waste material. Ignorant residents add insult to injury
when they simply do not know their responsibility in fighting these silent
killers. Instead of minimizing the deadly effect, they actually contribute to
the ever increasing percentage of dengue cases.
In order to combat the problem, there are
several suggestions. The most obvious answer is by reducing the mosquito
habitat. It is only logical that when there is no killer vector, there will be
no disease. Putting away those open cans, tins and used tyres properly as well
as taking care of clogged drains and rubbish will deprive the Aedes mosquitoes
of their breeding places. The authorities should also help by providing fogging
service accordingly to the schedule, especially at those places which are
flagged as dengue areas. At homes, residents should supply larvicide to the ant
traps and flower vases in addition to changing the water on alternate days.
Stricter punishment should be
imposed on those who have repeatedly ignored the warnings about taking care of
their surroundings. Currently, the authorities impose RM500 fine on each
detected larvae. This should be enough to make the residents think twice about
leaving their open containers unattended. Gotong-royong is one of the ways to
prevent dengue fever from spreading. Cleaning up should be merrier when
residents do the task together. Awareness campaign in all kinds of media,
electronically or printed, can be a stepping stone to guide those ignorant
residents about the danger of dengue fever. They should be told that the
disease affects all without prejudice, and they are not excluded from possible
death.
helping ech other
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