PETALING JAYA: Education, and not just punishment, should be the objective of having serial litterbugs carry out community service, say environmental groups.
While welcoming the move, they said education should be carried out holistically at early education levels to ingrain the habit of keeping surroundings clean.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia honorary secretary Mageswari Sangaralingam said community service must take an educational approach towards the harms of littering.
“It should create a greater sense of responsibility towards both the environment and community.
Making community service “visible” will also reinforce the consequences of littering, she said when contacted.
She said installing surveillance cameras in identified hotspots can help detect perpetrators.
“The local authorities would be aware of these areas,” she said, also mooting the establishment of public service hotlines to report littering.
“When there are tip-offs, local authorities and enforcement agencies must act quickly and take the necessary action,” she added.
EcoKnights president Amlir Ayat proposed a holistic approach to developing individuals who are internally motivated to do “the right thing”.
“Social and value reforms can be materialised through education at all levels, from public and formal education institutions and even from preschool.
“The effect is more permanent and less costly in the long run,” he said, referring to the potential installation of CCTVs to monitor litterbugs.
While supporting potential community service penalties, he expressed possible challenges in compliance monitoring of litterbug activities.
Amlir said continuous programmes and campaigns should also be carried out to educate the public on the importance of proper waste management.
Zero Waste Malaysia said long-term behavioural changes could prove more holistic with better waste prevention policies.
Community service is also beneficial if it provides an educational experience, including waste segregation programmes and ensuring that people learn about improper waste management.
“Enforcement is one of many approaches. Real impact can be achieved by combining enforcement with awareness campaigns and clear action plans,” the group said.
It also advocates for systemic changes that prevent littering, including banning single-use plastics, restricting single-use plastics on premises and implementing extended producer responsibility to reduce packaging waste at the source.
Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia president and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian supported possible hotlines to report littering.
“Enforcement authorities are already stretched, and it takes everyone’s support to ensure this initiative works,” he said.
Earlier this month, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming tabled amendments to three Acts related to public hygiene.
The three Acts are the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) and the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).
The amendments could soon mandate community service and a fine for litterbugs.
The amendments will allow the court to sentence a person convicted of breaching any of the previously mentioned sections to complete up to a maximum of 12 hours of community service, which can be carried out up to a maximum of four hours a day but must be completed within a period of six months.
