What had once been a lush green space was slowly turning into a polluted eyesore, the result of persistent littering and neglect. After efforts by a group tasked with maintaining the area proved ineffective, Michael took matters into his own hands.
In July 2018, he founded the Alliance of River Three, an impact-driven community organisation dedicated to conserving, restoring and protecting urban rivers.
The volunteer-led group he founded with Syuen Toh now actively stewards two green spaces: the Taman Melawati River Three SDG Park and the Mid Valley River Three SDG Park. Their work is shaped by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).
Under their care, these once badly polluted spaces have sprung back to life, transforming into thriving green corridors thanks to the impact of sustained volunteer effort.
At the Taman Melawati site, birds and other local wildlife have returned in abundance, and fragrant flowers blossom on specially maintained bushes. Look closely, and you might even spot an otter frolicking in the water!
“We hear a lot of conflicts about oil in the news nowadays. People treat it as if it’s so precious, but when it comes to our most important resource, water, many don’t care about it,” Michael told FMT Lifestyle.
“Water is crucial for every aspect of life on this planet. Remove this river and the temperature here would go up by five to 10 degrees, which would be unbearable. So why don’t we maintain it better?” he added.
The group conducts community efforts here for two hours every Saturday. These have been going on for over 400 weeks now; the Alliance of River Three even holds what is believed to be one of Malaysia’s longest-running uninterrupted weekly Gotong Royong Education by Action! (GREduAction!) movements.
Most of the group’s actions align with what Michael calls River CPR- Conservation, Protection and Rehabilitation of the Klang River. The project also emphasises community building and placemaking efforts.
“One of our main tasks is to audit. Find out what belongs here. And for what doesn’t belong here, we remove it. Nature will do the rest,” Michael said.
He is proud of their efforts, particularly because the volunteer effort was entirely self-initiated, supported by like-minded private partners, and self-funded without reliance on public funding. He is a strong believer in the principle of changing yourself before changing the world.
Not everyone is supportive, however. Michael reported being threatened and confronted by some individuals who viewed his environmental efforts as interference in their affairs.
Thankfully, there is also strong community support for the initiative. While the group once had to actively recruit, turnout has grown to the point that they occasionally must turn away walk-ins and operate a managed volunteer experience requiring prior bookings.
Today, a small troop of students from Monash University has come down to the river to help with Alliance of River Three’s conservation efforts. Toh supervises them as they plant new trees for the park’s micro-forest to attract pollinators.
The group’s ultimate goal is to complete the country’s first community designed and initiated river park, the Taman Melawati River Three SDG Park, by 2030.
Highlights of the park include an eight-kilometre mortar slab trail, bridges, CCTV, native riverine and rainforest seed banks, and bamboo gardens.
Toh points to a nearby wall displaying photographs of local wildlife. She explained that the group has been working with KL Sketch Nation and SMK Taman Melawati to train a pioneer cohort of students in photography, encouraging them to document the surrounding fauna to beautify the area and deepen their understanding of local nature.
She also highlights several hives of the stingless bee called kelulut, which the group maintains as part of efforts to support biodiversity and environmental protection.
Her ultimate mission is for members of the community to get involved in maintaining their environment.
“You shouldn’t think of it as ‘helping nature’. You’re really helping yourself, and protecting your sustenance and livelihood,” Toh concluded.
“Our actions impact the environment, and through restoration and maintenance, we can make things better again.”
More information on the Alliance of River Three, visit their website. Also follow them on Instagram.