Locals In Johor Are Sanitising Neighbourhood Streets With DIY Gear & Bleach To Eradicate COVID-19

Johor brothers sanitise streets with DIY gear



Brothers sanitise streets
Image adapted from:
Sin Lon Tan

With COVID-19 cases surpassing the 2,000 mark in Malaysia and Movement Control Order (MCO) extended, many have been applauding firemen in Penang for volunteering to sanitise streets like officials have been doing in China.

Without skipping a beat, 3 brothers in Johor have also taken up the task to voluntarily sanitise public areas in their neighbourhood. And they’ve been doing it for 2 hours each day since 16th March 2020, with their own DIY gear and bleach


Daily sanitising with DIY gear



Image credit:
Sin Lon Tan‎

Every superhero movie starts with a hero who has to DIY their own suit before they get their capes. Likewise, these vigilante brothers, who are between 40 and 55 years of age, have been repurposing mist blowers used in farms for pesticides.

They use this machine to spray DIY sanitiser to clean the streets of their neighbourhood and kill COVID-19 particles.

But not entirely rogue, they sought a doctor’s advice for their DIY disinfectant of diluted bleach, as well as local authorities’ permission, before carrying out their voluntary work.


These expensive gears have been purchased with money out of their own pockets
Image credit: Sin Lon Tan

And they haven’t missed a day since 16th March 2020, manually sanitising public spaces around Labis, Bekok, and Chaah in Johor for the past 12 days


No area left behind in their routine



Volunteers make sure to suit up with masks and protective wear
Image adapted from: Janice Tan

As reported by The Star, these voluntary efforts came out of concerns of the volunteers’ children and their elderly community’s well-being.


They’ve also taken to spraying sanitiser from their trucks in residential areas
Image adapted from: Sin Lon Tan

They began with sanitising public areas such as basketball courts, playgrounds, and dining spaces in restaurants. But with more volunteers coming to help out, they have been able to broaden their scope to sanitise streets, local hospitals, fire stations, and residential areas.


They did not leave out those on the frontline by helping to sanitise their work spaces too
Image adapted from: Sin Lon Tan & Sin Lon Tan


Funding pours in from their community



A seed planted with volunteers coming out to help these brothers sanitise their neighbourhoods
Image credit: Sin Lon Tan‎

In a post shared on 26th March by the wife of a volunteer, over 28 individuals have since donated over RM8,350 in support of their voluntary work.

Donors are mostly made up of restaurants and temples in Bekok area, as well as 4 anonymous donors and individuals who contributed what they could so that these volunteers can continue to keep their community clean. 


Johor brothers sanitise streets for community


Stories of humour and bravery have cropped up during these tough times that’s keeping our spirits up while we continue to stay at home and comply with MCO.

And we’re more than glad to see Malaysians, such as these volunteers in Johor who have taken their time to sanitise streets for the greater good. This keeps us hopeful and restores our faith in humanity as well. 

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Janet: