But don’t get the wrong idea. This 30-year-old cleanliness crusader isn’t squeamish.
In fact, he’s been making waves online for picking up litter on the streets of his hometown Kota Bharu in Kelantan, wearing a traditional Japanese kimono and wooden clogs called geta, a litter picker in his hand and a basket on his back – turning heads while cleaning up with a touch of nihon flair.
“My hands were a bit dirty and I needed a quick wash,” said the sixth of seven siblings. So, he grabbed a plastic bottle he’d picked up during his rounds, uncapped it, and poured out the contents. Only… it wasn’t water.
“It was someone’s urine! Why would anyone do that?” he said with a mix of disbelief and laughter. “I’ve also picked up more dirty diapers than I can count. It really boggles me.”
Turns out, the path to a cleaner Malaysia isn’t always as zen as a Kyoto garden – but Kay (as he is fondly known) keeps sweeping on, one rogue diaper at a time.
It began over three years ago when this freelance photographer and videographer wanted to jump on the TikTok bandwagon.
“But I didn’t want to post just anything. I’ve always been passionate about cleanliness, so I thought – why not create content around that?” he told FMT Lifestyle.
“I wanted the content to go viral as a wake-up call. We have a garbage problem in Malaysia. We’re one of the most polluted countries in the world. People need to wake up.”
Today, with nearly 10,000 followers on TikTok, Kay is spreading his message both online and on the ground.
“We’ve progressed so much as a country, but when it comes to keeping our streets clean, we’re still lagging. We’ve learned a lot from countries like Japan – why not apply that to litter too?”
At first, he filmed in casual clothes. But things changed when he came across a Japanese influencer in Tokyo who picked up litter dressed as a samurai.
“It was so entertaining. I realised that was the way to get attention,” he said. “I love how in Japan, cleanliness is second nature. Kids are taught from young. I wanted to bring that spirit here.”
Now, Kay makes his rounds either in the morning or evening, spending up to three hours cleaning public spaces around Kota Bharu. Reactions from passers-by are mostly positive. One in particular that’s etched in his memory is of a mother and her son.
“I overheard her telling her son, ‘Look, a Japanese person is cleaning up our streets. You need to be like this too to keep our city clean’. That was really funny but it also meant a lot to me,” Kay shared.
Still, not all feedback has been kind. “You can’t run from criticism. But I’m clear on what I do – I never enter private spaces. I just want cleaner streets.”
Kay doesn’t plan to stop in Kota Bharu. His dream is to sweep across Kelantan, and eventually, every state in Malaysia.
“I don’t have the money or resources yet, but that’s my goal,” he said. “Maybe one day I’ll open it up to the public, do this as a group. But it needs to be long-term. Once I see people are ready, I’ll welcome them.”
For now, he’s happy patrolling the streets of Kota Bharu solo, picking up litter and keeping his hometown spotless. But if there’s one thing he hopes the younger generation will cleanly swipe from him, it’s the idea of blending cleanliness with their social media content – because a good cause deserves to go viral.
“We have grown so much in technology and infrastructure. I don’t see why we can’t do the same with cleanliness.”
Follow Nik Ahmad Kashfi on TikTok.