PETALING JAYA: Hari Cuci Malaysia or Malaysia Cleanup Day 2025 is set to raise the bar by rallying more than 100,000 participants nationwide and collecting at least 3,000kg of used cooking oil in a single day – two records organisers are confident of achieving.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the initiative, first introduced last year as a ministerial programme, has now been elevated to a national event, with the last Saturday of September officially designated as Hari Cuci Malaysia.
“This year, we have adopted a whole-of-nation approach, involving school students, government agencies, GLCs and industry associations such as the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association.
“Strategic partners including housing developers PR1MA and Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad, cleaning service providers such as SWM as well as private companies and NGOs like the Tzu Chi Foundation, I Earth You and Roman Catholics Archdiocesan Office for Human Development are also taking part.
“With this collective support, we are confident the initiative will succeed in breaking two more records,” he said at the pre-launch ceremony yesterday.
Nga said last year’s cleanup day had secured three Malaysia Book of Records milestones – the largest nationwide gotong-royong with over 55,000 participants, the longest continuous cleanup programme and the highest single-day waste collection of 4,645.50 metric tonnes.
“Held in conjunction with World Cleanup Day on Sept 20 and recognised by the United Nations, this event underscores Malaysia’s commitment to global sustainability efforts.
“With Malaysia entrusted to hold the UN-Habitat presidency, it is only fitting for us to set a good example to other nations.”
He said Malaysia Cleanup Day 2025 has three objectives, namely to strengthen civic awareness on cleanliness, prepare for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and promote environmental sustainability through recycling.
With tourism now Malaysia’s second-largest source of national revenue, Nga said the country is on the right track.
“Recently, Time Out magazine and TripAdvisor ranked Malaysia as Asia’s most popular destination, with projections of over 40 million international tourists this year, the highest ever, surpassing Thailand, and positioning the nation as not only a regional hub but also a global tourism focus.
“Next month, Malaysia will again be in the international spotlight as we host the Asean Plus Summit, welcoming world leaders including the US president, prime ministers of China and India as well as leaders from Brazil and South Africa.
“Therefore, it is the responsibility of every Malaysian to ensure that our country remains clean, beautiful and prosperous. Waste must be properly managed and not thrown into drains, causing flash floods.”
He urged Malaysians to join the cleanup drive on Saturday at Pantai Cahaya Negeri, Port Dickson.
