Cover image via Omar Ahmad/New Straits Times
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An elderly man's 30-year-long hoarding habit came to a dramatic end after authorities cleared over 32,000kg of rubbish from his double-storey house in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru
According to the New Straits Times, the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) led the massive clean-up on Sunday, 27 July.
The operation involved 35 personnel and volunteers from MBJB, the police, and solid waste management company, SWM Environment.
The home had become a festering dumpsite, with neighbours enduring foul smells and pests — including rats, cockroaches, and even snakes — crawling into their homes for years
MBJB council member for the housing estate Sally Ng said the man's home was in an appalling state.
Inside the house, they found termite mounds, rusted rice cookers, broken furniture, shattered crockery, and even thousands of empty cans and bottles.
"Neighbours told us he hasn't lived inside the house for years. He sleeps in the back alley because the trash had [taken over] every inch of space, including the garage, which completely buried his car," she said.
MBJB described it as one of the worst domestic hoarding cases the district has ever seen
Ng added that clean-up efforts had previously been planned, but were suspended due to the man's refusal to cooperate.
Only the garage was cleared once in the past, but it was quickly refilled with rubbish, she added.
The man, a former teacher in his 70s, insisted his "collection" was worth a fortune, claiming it was worth RM8,000, especially the scrap metal
However, volunteers were only able to recover about RM1,000 worth of recyclable materials, which they handed over to him as a gesture of goodwill.
"He still claimed the rubbish was worth more, but everything was rotted, rusted, or ruined," Ng said.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via Roslin Mat Tahir/New Straits TimesAuthorities are now working on getting him psychological support
According to Ng, he had previously declined assistance from the Social Welfare Department.
"If left alone, this situation will only repeat itself. We hope he'll finally agree to proper care and support," Ng said.
She added that the man is believed to be estranged from his family. His Taiwanese wife returned to her home country years ago, and his three sons, now living in Singapore, are said to have cut ties due to his behaviour.
