KUALA LUMPUR: The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) issued 42 notices against individuals found littering in public places during Ops Cegah held in conjunction with the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Full enforcement of offences under Section 77A of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act was implemented starting at 12.01am on Jan 1, at 11 major hotspot locations in states that have adopted the Act.
“Of the total, 24 cases involved Malaysians while 18 involved foreign nationals, with 40 cases involving adults and two involving children.
“All offenders will be investigated and brought to court for further action in accordance with the provisions of the law in force,” SWCorp said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
The offences detected involved acts of discarding, placing or leaving waste such as cigarette butts, water bottles, canned drinks, tissue paper, plastic and food wrappers.
According to SWCorp, Ops Cegah was carried out to ensure the areas were restored to cleanliness through waste collection, street sweeping, drain cleaning and the placement of additional rubbish bins.
The offence of littering carries a maximum fine of RM2,000 upon conviction, and the court may also impose a Community Service Order for a period not exceeding six months, involving work of up to 12 hours in total, with a maximum of four hours per day.
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The Community Service Order for littering offences took effect yesterday, marking a shift in government policy from a purely fine-based punitive approach to one aimed at cultivating long-term behavioural change and civic responsibility.
In an earlier report, Khalid was quoted as saying that the enforcement of the order is not intended to shame offenders, but to educate the public to be more mindful about cleanliness.
Starting yesterday, SWCorp personnel, together with local authorities, will be stationed at public hotspots as part of a targeted enforcement strategy, particularly for littering offences involving cigarette butts and food wrappers.
