BY: Aida Aziz
IPOH: Hoarding disorder is not a fringe issue; many say they know someone affected, and some even recognise the behaviour in themselves only when the clutter becomes overwhelming and a health hazard.
Patients with hoarding disorder compulsively accumulate items, whether useful or not, leading to unsanitary conditions that attract pests and possible vermin threats such as snakes and cockroaches.
On social media, worried children share their distress over parents who hoard items, leaving homes piled high with debris.
Attention has turned to a home in Jalan Merpati, near Jusco Kinta City, which has been repeatedly featured by Ipoh Echo and Peraktastic for being overrun with garbage and plastic.
A local complainant said the last removal of waste from the elderly occupant’s home was in November. The Ipoh City Council (MBI) has intervened multiple times with clean‑ups.
The complainant urged stronger action, saying she hopes the Ipoh City Council (MBI) will take firmer measures and even pursue legal proceedings against the homeowner.
She highlighted that the hoarding disrupts the neighbourhood, worsens health risks (especially dengue, which is on the rise in Ipoh), and damages the city’s reputation, making it appear dirty to outsiders.
She recommended more frequent inspections by MBI health officers at homes prone to hoarding to prevent recurrence.
