Urban rivers often tell the story of how cities manage consumption, waste, and environmental responsibility. At Sungai Keroh in Segambut, that story was addressed through collective action when Hara Makers collaborated with UEM Sunrise Berhad to organise a community river cleanup that removed 240 kilogrammes of waste from the waterway.
The initiative brought together 30 employee volunteers from UEM Sunrise alongside the Hara Makers team, demonstrating how partnerships between businesses and community organisations can translate sustainability commitments into practical environmental action.
A Morning of Action Along Sungai Keroh
At first light, volunteers gathered along the riverbank for a safety and environmental briefing before entering the river equipped with protective gloves and safety boots. The cleanup was coordinated by Hara Makers with structured guidance, safety procedures, and environmental protocols to ensure participants could work safely while understanding the ecological context of the river.
Working in small teams, participants waded knee-deep into the river to remove debris including:
- plastic waste
- fabric materials
- electronic waste
- other submerged rubbish
The waste collected during the cleanup was categorised and recorded on-site, reinforcing the importance of data-driven environmental monitoring alongside direct environmental action.
This process helps participants see not only the volume of waste but also the patterns behind it — offering insight into the broader challenges facing urban waterways.
The Ongoing Challenge of River Pollution in Malaysia
Urban rivers across Malaysia continue to face pressure from unmanaged waste and rapid development. Monitoring by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry indicates that many rivers remain classified as polluted or moderately polluted, highlighting the importance of continued community-led stewardship.
River cleanups alone cannot solve the systemic issues of waste management, but they play an important role in:
- restoring local ecosystems
- raising environmental awareness
- generating data on waste sources
- mobilising communities and organisations toward change
At Hara Makers, every cleanup is designed not just as a cleanup exercise, but as a learning experience about the systems that produce the waste we remove.
Corporate Partnerships for Environmental Stewardship
As a long-standing developer in the Segambut area, including Mont’Kiara and Solaris Dutamas, UEM Sunrise recognises the importance of supporting environmental resilience in the communities surrounding its developments.
Dr. Nik Faizah Nik Mahmood, Head of Sustainability of UEM Sunrise, emphasised the role of collaboration in advancing environmental goals:
“We remain committed to supporting community-led environmental initiatives as part of our sustainability agenda and responsible urban development approach. Collaborative initiatives such as the Sungai Keroh clean-up reflect how partnerships with local stakeholders can translate sustainability commitments into meaningful, on-the-ground action.”
Corporate participation plays a key role in scaling environmental programmes. When organisations bring employees into community initiatives, sustainability becomes something people experience directly rather than only discuss in policy or reporting frameworks.
Understanding the Root Causes of River Pollution
For Hara Makers, river cleanups are about more than removing waste.
Chee Lee Yoon, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Hara Makers, highlighted the deeper purpose behind these activities:
“River pollution reflects deeper patterns of consumption, waste management and awareness within our communities. Through initiatives such as the Sungai Keroh clean-up, we combine direct environmental action with learning, helping participants understand the systemic causes behind what they remove from the river.”
By pairing hands-on environmental work with education and reflection, participants gain a clearer understanding of how everyday choices and waste systems shape the health of urban ecosystems.
Building Stronger Communities Through Shared Action
Beyond environmental outcomes, the cleanup also served as a team-building experience for UEM Sunrise employees. Volunteers worked together in challenging conditions, building camaraderie while contributing to a shared purpose.
By the end of the session, bags filled with collected waste lined the riverbank, offering a visible reminder of the scale of the problem — and the collective effort required to address it.
Community initiatives like this demonstrate that environmental stewardship is most effective when multiple groups work together, including:
- corporate organisations
- community groups
- social enterprises
- volunteers and residents
A Step Toward Healthier Urban Ecosystems
The Sungai Keroh cleanup reflects a growing recognition that sustainable cities require both responsible development and active community care.
Through partnerships like this, organisations can move beyond commitments and reporting frameworks to support real, on-the-ground environmental improvement.
For Hara Makers, these initiatives represent an ongoing effort to restore rivers, build environmental awareness, and strengthen community stewardship.
Because protecting urban ecosystems is not the work of one organisation alone — it is the work of many people showing up, learning together, and taking action.
Join Our River Restoration Efforts
Hara Makers continues to organise community river cleanups, environmental workshops, and sustainability programmes throughout Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
If your organisation is interested in organising a corporate volunteer programme, sustainability workshop, or community environmental initiative, we welcome collaboration.
Together, we can turn awareness into action — and help restore our rivers, one cleanup at a time.
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