Gotong-royong

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 village 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 MPKB 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.