Pasir Gudang mayor Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman. - Filepic/The Star
PASIR GUDANG: The Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) will be issuing a fine of RM500 to anyone caught littering in public places starting Wednesday (March 1).
Pasir Gudang mayor Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said that the council has started using its awareness approach for the past two weeks in all 24 council zones and has given verbal warnings to offenders.
"So starting this Wednesday, we will no longer compromise on this and will start issuing the RM500 fine to anyone caught red-handed under the Street, Drainage, and Building Act 1974.
"Anyone here means all members of the public, even school students, and we hope that the public is aware of this," he said after chairing the MBPG full council meeting at Menara Aqabah, here, on Monday (Feb 27).
Asman Shah shared that there were 35 enforcement officers that would be on patrol in all council zones and who would be in charge of issuing the compound to offenders.
The RM500 fine is part of the state government's initiative to beef up its enforcement of environmental cleanliness under the Johor Bersih initiative.
On Feb 5, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was reported as saying anyone found littering in public places would face a RM500 fine.
"The state government and all 16 local councils in the state have discussed this matter, and it is high time that we take serious action on those who disregard the environment," said Onn Hafiz.
The Machap assemblyman added that although the state government introduced the Johor Bersih initiative last year, the level of awareness among the public was still low.