Elderly man hoards 32,000kg of trash in M'sia home, rats & snakes found among items cleared

Over three decades, a former teacher in Johor Bahru hoarded over 32,000kg of trash in his two-storey home.

His collection had swelled to the extent that he could no longer live at home, the New Straits Times reported.

The elderly man, in his 70s, slept in a back alley because of the trash that filled his home.

Even his garage was full of junk, which "completely buried his car", said Sally Ng, a member at the Johor Bahru City Council.

It was described as one of the district's worst domestic hoarding cases on record.

Pests and snakes

Clean-up efforts for the vast collection began on Jul. 27 and saw the deployment of 35 volunteers, including from the city council and the police.

Rice cookers, broken furniture, and thousands of empty cans and bottles were uncovered from the hoard.

The trash had also led to quite the ecosystem developing.

Termite mounds, rats, cockroaches, and even snakes were found inhabiting the hoard.

In photos shared on social media, volunteers could be seen tackling a literal mountain of trash.

Neighbours had reportedly complained of the issue for years. But the clean-up efforts were stalled due to the man's refusal to cooperate.

Estranged from family

The man insisted that his collection was worth RM8,000 (S$2,410).

But the volunteers, who managed to separate the recyclable goods from the hoard, managed to raise a mere RM1,000 (S$301).

This was handed to him as a gesture of goodwill. Everything was "rotted, rusted, or ruined" despite his claims, Ng said.

The man is believed to be estranged from his family.

His Taiwanese wife returned to her home country years ago, while his three sons are living in Singapore.

The men reportedly distanced themselves from their father due to his behaviour.

Although he previously refused assistance from the welfare department, efforts to get him psychological help are underway.

"If left alone, this situation will only repeat itself," Ng said.

Top image from Chan San San/Facebook