Wasco Greenergy collect over 1.6 tonnes of waste in beach clean-ups across Selangor, Sarawak

WASCO Greenergy Bhd (Wasc0), a market-leading energy solution provider in Malaysia, collected a total of 1,641.5 kg of waste through beach clean-up initiatives at Pantai Jeram, Selangor and Kampung Jepak Beach, Sarawak.

The initiative involved 65 employees who collectively contributed 235 volunteer man-hours.

Beyond removing waste from the shoreline, this initiative reflects Wasco Greenergy’s commitment to responsible waste management and environmental stewardship, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Through united action, Wasco Greenergy employees demonstrated a shared commitment to cleaner coastlines and the protection of marine life.

Wong Yin Kee, Group Managing Director of Wasco Greenergy, said environmental conservation requires practical action and a sustained commitment to addressing the impact of human activities on the natural environment.

“Environmental conservation requires more than awareness. It requires practical action and a willingness to take responsibility for the impact we have on our surroundings. Coastal pollution is a visible reminder of how everyday activities can affect the environment, and initiatives such as this allow us to contribute directly to addressing the issue,” he added.

“At Wasco Greenergy, we believe that sustainability should be reflected not only in how we conduct our business, but also in the actions we take as individuals and collectively as an organisation,” Wong pointed out.

“The participation of our employees is encouraging, and we hope this experience will translate into greater awareness and more responsible waste management practices beyond this initiative,” he said.

At Pantai Jeram, Selangor, the beach clean-up was organised in collaboration with MY Clean Beach, with 50 employees collected 641.5 kilogrammes of waste along a 1-km stretch of beach during a 3.5-hour clean-up, despite persistent rain.

The waste, comprising plastics, food packaging, glass, paper, metals and other discarded materials, was subsequently sorted, weighed and transported to a recycling centre for appropriate handling and processing.

Similarly, at Kampung Jepak Beach, Sarawak, 15 employees collected approximately 1,000 kilogrammes of waste during a 4-hour clean-up, contributing 60 volunteer man-hours to the Group’s environmental efforts.

Beyond the waste collected, both initiatives provided employees with an opportunity to contribute directly to coastal conservation while strengthening teamwork and reinforcing the importance of individual responsibility in protecting the environment.The clean-up builds on the Group’s ongoing environmental programmes, which in 2025 included a mangrove seedling planting programme at Bagan Lalang, Selangor, involving 40 employees.

That same year, Wasco Greenergy employees contributed 648 volunteer man-hours, while the Group invested RM61,459 in community initiatives that reached 602 beneficiaries.

The initiative also reflects Wasco Greenergy’s broader commitment to sustainability, including its aim of achieving a net positive biodiversity impact by supporting the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems, and encouraging employees to adopt responsible environmental practices both within and beyond the workplace.— Focus Malaysia

“Non-muslims with halal cert should be trusted more than muslim shops,” said fiery netizen

 

HALAL or haram has always been a very messy topic for discussion, especially in conservative peninsular Malaysia.

It has grown from its spiritual dimension, and into the realm of business since entities possessing the much coveted halal status enjoy a much larger share of the market.

Understandably, non-muslims will have to go the extra mile to convince their muslims customers.

But should muslim owned businesses pursue halal certification too?

The recent controversy surrounding the processing centre in Puchong certainly points towards that direction.

And it appears the clarion call is getting louder and louder on the cyberspace.

Take for example a post on Threads by netizen mirrrnana, stating that she placed more trust in non-muslim businesses that are halal certified, than the muslim ones that don’t.

“Let’s always support the shops that have the halal certificate irregardless of their religion and race,” she said.

Her remarks have since attracted a good deal of attention from netizens, who echoed her opinion.

“Agree, shops that have the halal certificate should be trusted more than the “Malay islam,” said elk.37856720.

Netizen ya.sai_ya further pointed towards the many famous Malay restaurants out there that have yet to apply for their certification.

Towards this topic, a netizen suggested people boycott the Malay shops that do not have the halal status.

Kasechsbt20 also came up to share an incident where he was having char koew teow, but the ketchup used for the meal was found to be not halal.

Extending from his comment was netizen tacaamin, pointing out a muslim who was processing noodles while sporting a long beard.

However, netizen aishidos said he was 99% confident that the Malay shops use halal products. However, he had reservations where cleanliness was considered.

Jasminekay189 further lamented about the difficulty for shops in the mall to get the halal certificate since the suppliers must all be halal too.

But ghad_dafy said people will still find excuses to attack these businesses even when they possess the halal status.

At the end of the day, halal certification should not be treated as a barrier for non-Muslim businesses, nor should Muslim-owned establishments assume that their ownership alone is enough to earn customers’ confidence.

Otherwise, consumers may have to go through all the trouble scrutinising not just the ingredients, but the entire kitchen, the supplier and possibly even the chef’s beard.— Focus Malaysia

Lady blocks the road with food kiosk, goes berserk when threatened with action

 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP should be encouraged at every level of society as it offers more than just an opportunity to make money, but as a driver for economic growth.

But we can all agree that business is good up till the part where it starts creating inconvenience to the public.

A recent viral video on X best describes this situation, where a lady could be seen setting up a food kiosk right in front of her house.

It wouldn’t have been much of a problem if not for the fact that her property is a linked landed house in a shared neighbourhood.

Also, the video showed the stall occupying a good portion of the road designated for the public.

But the spice that made the video viral was the shouting match which occurred when another lady decided to record her while she was doing her business.

(Readers are cautioned to turn down the volume of their mobile device should they choose to view this video in a public space)

Thankfully, the video did not end in a fist fight. Regardless, all that screaming and shouting has a terrible way of disturbing the zen and peace in the neighbourhood.

Netizens who watched the video also suggested some ways to remedy the situation.

Take for example, @TajuddinKhairul who said she could have just placed her stall on the porch of her house instead of disrupting the flow of traffic in the residential area.

“That’s why people can’t be bothered to address things face-to-face. You will just end up having to deal with this kind of screaming and wailing. It’s much easier to just take a photo and report it to the local council,” lamented @ifeelzen1.

On this note, @nvbillhj decided to post the rules and regulations on doing business at one’s own property.

Another netizen said this was what happened when people lived in a B40 neighbourhood.

From the video, it appears the stall owner was clearly in the wrong, but it appears there is a twist to the story.

According to @gajuspedas, the lady in blue shirt who was recording the kiosk owner actually runs a mechanic business in her house.

Apparently, she wanted to report her to the authorities out of spite.

Also, @Namthu18 suggested that both parties were in the wrong. The kiosk owner shouldn’t be blocking the road while the one recording the video was clearly trying to provoke her.

Perhaps that was her plan all along, to get the kiosk owner to hit her, and then claim damages. 

One netizen further pointed out how vehicles that park at the left and right side of the road were accepted while a kiosk was prohibited.

 

All in all, it takes two hands to make a clap. A successful entrepreneur should know how to win customers, not neighbours’ enemies.

If setting up a food kiosk means turning the entire neighbourhood into a war zone, perhaps it is time to rethink the business location.—  Focus Malaysia

Ramayana may upset Malaysians; netizen prepares viewers from unnecessary rage

 

THE screening of Ramayana today on Deepavali is a masterful stroke, since the festival of light revolves around this epic tale of chivalry, love, and spiritual devotion.

Practitioning Hindus in Malaysia have every reason to embrace the timeless epic in theatres nationwide. But what about the followers of the many other faiths here?

On that note, netizen nisha_shanisha made a post on threads, cautioning people about the spiritual content in the movie so that some of them would not get upset.

“If you feel your faith might waver, or anything of the sort, please don’t watch it,” she said.

“Do not blame your insecurities on our religion because soon or later there will be one idiot who will talk nonsense about our religion and destroy everyone’s peace,” nisha_shanisha added.

Her remark was understandable, since living in a multiracial Malaysian community can at times feel like walking on egg shells.

And reinforcing her words was a fellow netizen by the handle of shalene_sharl, fearing that right wingers may assume that the movie will be used to convert people to Hinduism.

Thankfully, a good number of Malay netizens turned up in the comment section to reassure nisha_shanisha.

According to a5thisa, he grew up watching the story of Sun Wukong, the goddess of mercy, Guanyin and the pig Zhu Bhajie.

justtolike13 added that he was excited to watch this animated movie every time during Deepavali and that his faith has never been shaken.

Also, doctorrowan pointed out that the Malays have their own version of the Ramayana too.

Netizen rabbit.5681104 continued, saying that the Kelantanese were well familiar with the epic, since it was part of their traditional wayang kulit.

“Many Malays enjoy watching Tamil films. It’s good knowledge, anyway,” said norahalib.

So what are the chances of the Muslims converting to Hinduism after watching this movie in the theatres? 

Netizen fireaxe23 thought the idea was laughable.

Away from all that conversion talks and racially charged comments that make up the mine field that is Threads, netizens would also want to know more about the very movie that prompted this post in the first place.

Netizen crystalwclee who claimed to have watched Ramayana gave it a 4/10 score.

According to her, a lot of important moments were missed. For example, Urmila’s sacrifice when Lakshman left for exile, the love and brotherhood between Ram and his brothers and how each of them performed their dharma as a brother, son and husband. 

“I know a movie has to shorten the story, but these moments are what build the emotion. Without them, it just doesn’t hit the same,” she said.

crystalwclee added that the casting was less than ideal, stating that Ram and Sita just didn’t work for her.

“And it’s not about looks. It’s the emotions, body language and vibes,” she pointed out. Her full review can be found on this post.

Whether Ramayana deserves a 4/10 or a standing ovation is another matter altogether. 

But perhaps the real disappointment would be missing a cultural experience simply because one is afraid that two hours of animation might undo years of religious upbringing.

Perhaps the real test of faith is not whether one can survive watching Ramayana, but whether one can survive reading the comment section on Threads without losing one’s sanity.

That, arguably, requires considerably more spiritual strength. Maybe it is time to have a little more faith in our own faith.— Focus Malaysia