Malaysians have always struggled with the concept of cleaning up after ourselves at fast food restaurants and food courts. You’ll see signs located throughout the makan place informing customers to ‘kindly clear the table once done eating’.
However, we’re often still greeted with the sad sight of Malaysians leaving their waste and trays on the table.
Source: Reddit
Often because most typical Malaysian say, “There are cleaners who are getting paid to clean, so why should I do it?”
Well, some Malaysians are just not having it anymore. In a now viral post by Astra Duta Galaksi (@Astra_Galaksi), he shared a picture of how he and his loved ones had arranged their plates, bowls, cups, cutlery and leftovers in such a way that would be easy for the cleaners to clear the table.
The best part? They did it at a restaurant that didn’t even require them to do anything after their meal.
Belajarlah susun macam ni, tak kira kat mana pun kita makan.
Kita mudahkan kerja orang, mungkin urusan kita juga dipermudahkan. pic.twitter.com/9CvbuOnH5o
— Astra Duta Galaksi (@Astra_Galaksi) June 29, 2019
He captioned his post, “Learn to arrange like this, no matter where we eat. When we make someone else’s life easier, maybe our lives become easier too.”
Netizens have since taken to the thread to not only praise Astra’s message to Malaysians, but also share their similar experiences.
Dah jadi habit dah. Siap lapkan meja lagi ? pic.twitter.com/zqJeJfmBTi
— Puan Atikah (@atikahshibii) June 29, 2019
This netizen shares, “It’s become a habit. I even wipe the tables.”
Source: Twitter
This comment goes, “My friend’s sister is a cleaner and she’s told me that she truly appreciates customers who do this as it makes her job so much easier. One day, I decided to do this too at a restaurant and the smile the female cleaner gave me as she picked up my plates was just indescribable and she said thank you, non-stop.”
Other netizens on the other hand, shared on how they’ve encountered those who discourage the courteous act.
Source: Twitter
This comment reads, “I did this [clear the table] when I went out to eat with this one friend when he suddenly said, ‘Just let it go. You’re cleaning up like you want to work here.‘”
It’s completely acceptable for everyone to have their own beliefs about social conduct, but seriously, if you see someone doing something good, why would anyone try to stop them?
Astra’s posting has since garnered over 9,400 retweets.
It’s about time we step up to the plate (and also clear it) for you don’t actually lose anything by doing something courteous.
Also read: KL Man Gets Angry at Staff in Fast Food Joint for Slow Service Even Though They’re Fasting
