A municipal council in Malaysia’s Selangor state is handing out RM3 (S$0.90) to vendors at a wet market for every rat they catch.

The campaign aims to make the Pekan Ampang market and its surrounding areas rat-free for the comfort of market goers, said the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council  in a July 9 post on X.

“Let’s join the effort to exterminate rats for the sake of the environmental cleanliness and health!” reads another post.

The Rat Extermination Campaig n will run from July 8 to 25.

Rat-catchers can exchange their vermin for cash at the market on weekdays during the campaign period from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

On the campaign poster, icons showing two United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals - good health and well-being , as well as sustainable cities and communities - were included.

Over in Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu central market, a similar initiative is paying RM2 per rat caught.

In a Facebook post on June 26 , the Kota Kinabalu City Hall said the campaign began on June 25 and would run until July 1.

It added that the campaign hopes to raise awareness about the dangers that animal infestations can bring to public health, the city’s image and business activities.

Malaysian authorities have in past years put bounties on rats to curb rat infestations.

In 2019 , the Iskandar Puteri Municipal Council in Johor paid members of the public RM1 for every house mouse caught, according to local media outlet The New Straits Times. The Kuala Lumpur City Hall also in 2013 awarded RM1 for each rat caught in the city, reported state news agency Bernam a.

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