KUALA LUMPUR: In a powerful display of environmental consciousness, thousands of Malaysians from all walks of life came together yesterday for a nationwide plogging event, held in celebration of Tzu Chi Malaysia’s 30th anniversary of environmental advocacy.
The event, held under the banner of the “Go Green, Go Plogging” campaign, combined exercise with environmental care.
Plogging refers to jogging while picking up litter, turning an ordinary workout into a community activity.
Spanning more than 50 locations across the Klang Valley, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak, the campaign marked the largest plogging initiative ever organised by Tzu Chi Malaysia.
Nationwide, more than 8,000 participants took part, collecting rubbish while walking or jogging to raise awareness about environmental sustainability and civic responsibility.
The main venue at the Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall in Kepong saw about 1,000 participants, including representatives from GLCs, private corporations, NGOs and media organisations.
Berjaya Corporation founder and Tzu Chi commissioner Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who took part in the clean-up, commended the initiative and called for more regular community involvement.
“This is a very good event and I think it should be done more often, ideally once a week in different parts of the city.
“It shouldn’t be organised by Tzu Chi alone. Every group, religious, civic or corporate, should get involved.
“If 52 organisations each hosted one clean-up a year, we would have a cleaner Kuala Lumpur every week,” he said after the event.
Tan also voiced concern over the large number of cigarette butts collected.
“We picked up a lot of cigarette butts today. Perhaps it’s time for cigarette companies to provide proper disposal containers, boxes with a section to stub out and store the butts that can be placed in public areas.
“Everyone needs to take responsibility, not just the companies but individuals as well. Smokers should do their part to dispose of their cigarette butts properly instead of leaving them scattered everywhere,” he said.
Tzu Chi Kuala Lumpur and Selangor deputy CEO Puan Sri Tong Siew Bee thanked all participants and supporting organisations, underscoring the significance of the movement.
“This marks three decades of Tzu Chi’s environmental journey in Malaysia. For 30 years, we have worked with local communities to protect Earth through education, advocacy and action.
“At Tzu Chi, we believe that every small action creates a ripple of goodness. Picking up just one piece of litter may seem insignificant, but imagine the collective impact if we all did it consistently, not just today but as a way of life,” she said.
She also quoted Tzu Chi founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen: “The Earth is like our mother, she carries and nurtures all beings. We should cherish her with a grateful heart.”
Also present were BCorp joint CEO Vivienne Cheng Chi Fan, Top Glove chairman Tan Sri Lim Wee Chai, Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Pua Pei Ling, Tzu Chi Kuala Lumpur and Selangor deputy CEO Josephine Tien and Southern Score managing director Tan Sri Gan Yu Chai.
Among the corporate supporters were Berjaya Group, Public Bank, Top Glove, Sunway Group, Nirvana, Radium Development Berhad, Southern Score Builders Berhad and Techsaltants.
Tzu Chi Malaysia currently operates 154 recycling centres and 776 community-based recycling points nationwide, reflecting a deep rooted commitment to sustainability at the grassroots level.
