Community service: Nga (centre) posing for a group photo with traders at his ministry’s Sentuhan Kejayaan 2005 programme in Sungai Jarom, Selangor.
KUALA LANGAT: A total of 120 litterbugs, including 34 foreigners, were caught under Ops Cegah on Jan 1 and 2 for littering in public areas, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
“I was informed by SWCorp that yesterday in Johor Baru, five people were caught – three of them were Singaporeans,” he said after attending the ministry’s Sentuhan Kejayaan 2025 programme in Sungai Jarom yesterday.
Community service orders under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672) come into force on Jan 1, 2026 as part of stricter enforcement against minor littering.
Nga said that 120 litterbugs were issued offence notices in the federal capital on New Year’s Eve and further legal action would be taken by prosecutors, pending approval from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
“After obtaining approval from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, they will be charged in court and the court will decide.
“The maximum fine ranges from RM2,000 to RM10,000, while the community service sentence is 12 hours to be served within six months,” he added.
In a statement on Dec 31, the Housing and Local Government Ministry said the implementation of the community service order would take effect in Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis and Kedah, as well as in two Federal Territories – Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
For Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Terengganu, which did not adopt Act 672, implementation of the order will begin as soon as possible, subject to approval by their respective state authorities.
Nga said SWCorp had already collected about four tonnes of rubbish in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur before Christmas.
“After the New Year, I instructed our cleaning crew, and in one night we cleared nearly 4,000kg of rubbish,” he said.
He added that enforcement is already making a difference.
“Nearly 30,000 people attended the ‘I Lite U’ event, yet there was no rubbish left behind. That shows enforcement works,” he said.
On another matter, Nga said the ministry has completed 15,082 development projects nationwide under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) between 2023 and 2025, marking a major milestone in strengthening local infrastructure and public services.
He added that the Economy Ministry approved 14 large-scale projects worth RM10mil and above in 2025, 10 of which involve building new public markets.
Local authorities received RM904.3mil in operating expenditure last year, reflecting the government’s commitment to improving implementation and monitoring at the local level.
Nga said that slope repair and reinforcement works covered 97 projects in 11 states, with an allocation of RM69.13mil under the 12MP, of which 63 projects have been completed.
On flood mitigation, Nga said 145 flood hotspots nationwide were reduced in 2025 through drainage projects carried out by local councils, improving public safety.
Public facilities also saw improvements.
The proportion of public toilets rated “Clean, Attractive and Fragrant” (BMW) rose sharply under the ministry’s Toilet of the Year Award initiative.
BMW-rated toilets in the private sector increased from 37% in 2022 to 59% in 2025, while those managed by local councils rose from 43% to 79%.
Nga highlighted the ministry’s push for digital services, including PBTPay, ePBT 2.0 and 3.0, PBTCare, eJKT, and the expansion of PBTPay to Sabah.
PBTPay, the official one-stop payment portal for local authorities, saw annual collections soar to RM538mil in 2025, reflecting strong public confidence in digital payments.
PBTCare, the official complaints platform for local councils, recorded 10,500 complaints and 18,230 registered users last year.
