Give a group of men shovels and gloves, and they can transform a town; This is the story of Capy Crew’s Merdeka Day Community Clean-Up.
Seksyen 17 of Petaling Jaya is a charming little neighborhood, alive with the rhythms of daily life. Yet, like many bustling communities, it bears the traces of our modern habits: plastic wrappers caught in bushes, cigarette butts scattered underfoot, and drains that carry more than just water. These are the small burdens of city living, reminders of how easily our shared spaces can slip into disrepair if left untended.
For this reason, Capy Crew sprang into action. In partnership with the local state assemblyman, YB Rajiv Rishyakaran of Bukit Gasing, and Councillor Christopher Ong, we gathered with residents and other volunteers on the eve of Merdeka Day (Malaysia’s Independence Day) for a gotong-royong (community clean-up). We numbered around 50, including 10 from Capy Crew. Together, we set out with one purpose: to free the neighborhood from its debris, to give shape to a quiet, universal longing, and to contribute to something greater than ourselves.
At 7.30 in the morning, armed with shovels, gloves, caps, and bags, our group of over fifty volunteers took to the streets. We scoured every corner for the hidden and the obvious: plastic wrappers tucked beneath bushes, straws wedged between stones, and drains heavy with forgotten refuse. Each piece of rubbish lifted was one less blemish on the neighbourhood; each scoop from the drains was a breath of air returned to its people. Rubbish is never merely an eyesore. Left to fester, it poisons water, taints food, and thickens the very air we breathe.
In just an hour and a half, our keen eyes and steady hands filled around forty bags with the discarded and the unwanted. The effort of the volunteers brought a sense of renewal, letting the neighbourhood’s charm and greenery stand out once again for everyone to enjoy. While we cannot claim to have cleared every piece of refuse, we leave behind hope that this restored state will last long enough to let life here breathe a little easier. By the end, some of us were sweating more than on our hikes!
We take this moment, too, to call on everyone: residents, volunteers, and readers alike. Take responsibility for your streets. Do not cast aside trash where it does not belong. Pick up what you can. Small gestures gather into change, and together we can make our neighborhoods into much more cheerful and beautiful places!
Our gratitude goes to YB Rajiv and Councillor Christopher for making this gotong-royong possible. We would also like to thank SunDrop*, our generous sponsor, for keeping our volunteers refreshed with cartons of assorted juices, kopi o kosong, teh tarik, and many more.
On the eve of Merdeka, as flags fluttered above us, we remembered that independence is not only written in history books but lived in the small freedoms we carve every day: freedom from neglect and indifference. In every shovel lifted and every bag filled, we found a reminder that the true spirit of Malaysia lies not just in being free, but in working together to keep that freedom alive.
*Sundrop is a Sarawak-based company that brings happiness through its offering of premium products with no artificial colours or flavours.
This piece was written by Doris Liew (our community outreach lead) and editted by me, Wen Chong (Daryl).
