PETALING JAYA, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) plans to nominate recipients of the 2026 Cleaning Workers Award for state honours in recognition of their service and sacrifices in keeping public spaces clean.
Its Minister Nga Kor Ming said the proposal was discussed with KPKT secretary-general Datuk Dr Wira M Noor Azman Taib to ensure this year’s award recipients received due recognition for their contributions.
“I have discussed this with Datuk Wira, and this year’s national cleaning workers award recipients will be listed and nominated to the respective state palaces to receive honours from the respective state rulers,” he said in his speech at the 2026 Cleaning Workers Appreciation Day here today.
Also present was Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu.
Nga said the practice of honouring the country’s cleaning workers had already been carried out by the Penang state government for almost 10 years.
“In my view, the time has come for our cleaning heroes in other states to also receive due recognition and appreciation,” he said.
He said the country’s solid waste management and public cleaning sector was currently supported by 26,889 workers employed by concessionaires.
“Many of them have served for more than a decade, while some have dedicated almost three decades, or 30 years, to the cleaning sector,” he said.
Nga said cleaning workers played an important role in keeping the country’s environment clean, safe and comfortable for the people, despite often working behind the scenes.
He also stressed that maintaining public cleanliness was not solely the responsibility of cleaning workers, but a shared responsibility among all Malaysians.
He said the habit of not littering must be instilled across all levels of society to realise the ‘Malaysia Bersih, Rakyat Sejahtera’ (Clean and Prosperous Malaysia) aspiration.
In this regard, he called on the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) to step up enforcement of the Community Service Order (PKM) to encourage greater public responsibility for maintaining cleanliness.
“As of yesterday, Aug 17, a total of 14,807 offence notices had been issued this year. A total of 548 individuals have undergone Community Service Orders in states that have adopted Act 672.
“Of these, 419 have completed their Community Service Orders, while 129 are still serving them,” he said.
Nga stressed that the Community Service Order was not merely a form of punishment, but also an educational instrument to instil discipline, responsibility and awareness of public cleanliness.
At the event, seven workers received the 2026 Cleaning Workers Award, with two from Alam Flora Sdn Bhd and five from SWM Environment Sdn Bhd.
Contributions were also presented to three recipients as a gesture of support and concern for the welfare of cleaning workers.
-- BERNAMA