PETALING JAYA: Who cleans up after you? In Bukit Bintang, the answer has become painfully obvious: everyone except the litterers themselves.
Scenes of trash-strewn streets following recent celebrations have reignited debate over a long-standing public mindset, that it is acceptable to litter because “someone else will clean it up”.
Social media was ablaze with divided reactions with some questioning the apparent absence of cleaning crews: “Where are the cleaners?” and “Are the cleaners not working today?”
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Others called out what they described as an outdated and irresponsible attitude.
“Those who are asking the cleaner to clean it, this is the kind of old mindset,” one user wrote.
“You people have no class. Highly educated people should not behave like this,” added another.
“These are the types of people that normalise the ‘someone else will clean it, so why bother?’ mentality,” said a third.
Environment and waste management specialist Dr Theng Lee Chong said such views reflect a deeper failure to internalise basic civic responsibility.
“If we think workers are paid to do the cleaning, it seems we have forgotten we are educated not to litter, even from a very early age. This is just an excuse and a shameful attitude,” he said in an interview.
Theng added that the irony was stark: cleaning workers, often perceived as less educated, are left to deal with the careless behaviour of those who pride themselves on being educated.
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“Mindsets are not easy to change through awareness campaigns alone. It takes a long time, sometimes generations.
“In Japan, for instance, litter-free behaviour is deeply ingrained. My friends from Japan visiting Malaysia always carry small ashtrays to avoid leaving cigarette ash or butts on the street,” he said.
He also noted human idiosyncrasies such as people behaving well when the rules are strict but misbehave once they know they can get away with it.
“We need behavioural change, instead of creating awareness. Everyone already knows littering is wrong. At the same time, enforcement by law is necessary,” Theng said.
He also raised practical questions about penalising short-term visitors and tourists, asking how the authorities intend to address the challenges fairly and effectively.
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Rajesh Nagarajan said the “leave it to the cleaners” mindset is fundamentally incompatible with the law.
“From a legal standpoint, not littering is a personal duty. It cannot be delegated or morally outsourced to cleaners or municipal workers,” he said.
Rajesh emphasised that cleaners are employed to maintain public hygiene, not to absolve individuals of unlawful behaviour, adding that large gatherings or festive events do not create exceptions under the law.
“If enforcement alone is relied upon, without a shift in public mindset, the law becomes reactive rather than preventative. Normalising the idea that littering is acceptable because someone else will clean up undermines both the rule of law and basic social responsibility,” he said.
The debate comes as stricter anti-littering measures came into force nationwide yesterday, giving local authorities the power to take firmer action against offenders.
