After hearing complaints from neighbors for twenty years, the authorities have finally done something about a “garbage house.” Yes, that house has made life unpleasant for people living in Taman Desa Tebrau in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
For 20 years, the owner had accumulated a large amount of waste, creating discomfort and disruption in the neighborhood. He used to be a teacher.
How the trash was removed
It is a two-story building, where that person is living. It is known to the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) as one of the most problematic and dirty properties in the area.
To remove all the trash from his home, it required an excavator, nine trucks, and 50 volunteers from various community groups. According to a Facebook post by Johor Bahru City Councilor Chan San San, more than 32 tons of waste accumulated at the home of an elderly person along Jalan Sutera No. 6 was removed.
In her post, Chan shared photos and videos of the operation, showing garbage collectors unloading waste from the 76-year-old retired teacher’s home onto the street.
Inside this house, they found the old items, such as garbage, wheelbarrows, egg cartons, buckets, and more. It was creating a pile of waste that reached the roof of his two-story balcony. On 29 July, the Malaysian newspaper The Rakyat Post reported that this was the result of two decades of collection.
Homeowner’s reaction and resistance
The homeowner threatened the volunteers with a terrifying explosion and sharp weapons, stating that anyone who attempted to intervene would be physically attacked.
The homeowner had a violent reputation for this. The situation became so daring that many volunteer teams refused to intervene.
MBJB councilor Chan Sun Sun revealed that he received a call from a fellow councilor asking him to gather volunteers for another cleanup operation.
Chan admitted she hesitated for two days before agreeing, knowing the homeowner was dangerous. However, she ultimately decided to intervene because the situation had become a public health emergency.
The Value of the Hoard
Sally Ng, councilor for the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB), responsible for the residential neighborhood, said the man claimed the waste he collected was worth $2457 SG (RM8,000), mostly metal items.
However, only $307 SG (RM1,000) was collected from recyclable materials, which was later donated to him as a goodwill gesture.
It was later known that the man’s Taiwanese wife had returned to her homeland. His three children currently live in Singapore. They were estranged from him due to his compulsive hoarding.
Neighbors said he hadn’t lived in the house for years. He sleeps in the back alley because the waste has spread over every inch of the space, including the garage. It has completely buried his car.
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Elderly M’sian Woman Carried Out by Stretcher, Buried by Her Own Trash
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