JOHOR BARU: Johor Menteri Besar took emperor Napoléon Bonaparte's quote: "If you want something done, do it yourself" literally.
Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi did just that to clean up a stagnant drain with an influencer team.
The drain was covered with overgrown bushes, rubbish and debris along Jalan Susur towards the Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway, near the Pandan Wholesale Market.
Onn Hafiz joined TikTok influencer Amyika Ceo L (the L stands for longkang-drain) and his team in the gotong-royong style clean-up.
Onn Hafiz said the influencer and his team's selfless initiative to clean up drains, pick up trash and cut overgrown grass in the state's capital city was truly inspiring.
"The influencer took it upon himself and recruited his friends to clean up the stagnant drains in their efforts to mitigate flash floods in Johor Baru," Onn Hafiz added on his Facebook page.
The menteri besar, State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, Johor Baru Mayor Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman and State deputy secretary (Sports, Youth and Volunteers) Datuk On Jabbar rolled up their sleeves and joined the influencer's team to clean the area despite a downpour yesterday.
Onn Hafiz and the state government officials took over an hour to clear the drain while the influencer's team continued with their efforts in the next few hours.
In the past, there were numerous viral footage of Onn Hafiz during his spot checks on the ground.
He was left fuming over stagnant drains, and overgrown bushes and had called for immediate action.
The menteri besar, from his appointment on March 15, 2022, has sought to tap the state's unrealised potential.
He aims to transform it into a high-income, highly-developed state by 2030.
Johor Bersih is one of the core goals in his blueprint, dubbed "Johor Maju".
It is built on six strategic focus areas – governance and administration, economic development, social safety nets, facilities and basic needs, safety, hygiene and cleanliness, and Johor's youths.
Meanwhile, the footage shared on the influencer's TikTok account drew numerous comments.
Some suggested that the delay in the clean-up by the relevant authorities could be due to red tape or a silo mindset.
While another said: "So, I guess if you want something done, you have to do it yourself,".