JOHOR BARU: A total of 16 individuals, including two Singaporeans, were sentenced to community service for littering in Johor.
Johor Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said the offenders were among those convicted for disposing of cigarette butts, plastic bottles and drink cans in public places.
He said the punishment, carried out at a parking area of a shopping mall here, was part of the seventh series of community service orders implemented in the state.
“Among the 16 individuals involved are eight Malaysians, three Indonesians, two Bangladeshis, one Nepalese and two Singaporeans.
“They are serving community service punishment for offences related to littering small waste items,” he told a press conference on Sunday (May 10).
Zainal Fitri said the offenders were ordered to carry out the community service for two hours on Sunday, while additional punishment periods would be determined later.
He added that the total fines imposed on the offenders amounted to RM14,400, with up to RM2,000 per individual, depending on the court’s ruling.
“As of Saturday, SWCorp Johor has issued 1,083 notices for littering offences statewide.
“Out of the total, 32 cases have been settled in court involving fines amounting to RM26,300,” he said.
He added that offenders sentenced to community service had been required to carry out between two and 10 hours of cleaning work, with 10 hours being the highest duration imposed so far.
Despite various awareness campaigns and enforcement efforts, Zainal Fitri said littering offences were still occurring in public places and tourist hotspots across the state.
“I hope the public, especially youths in Johor, will stop engaging in littering activities because this is an unhealthy practice and gives a bad image to tourists visiting the state,” he said.
He said enforcement and monitoring operations would continue until Johor achieved cleaner public spaces in line with the state’s goal of becoming a clean state and having clean cities by 2030.
Zainal Fitri also said public awareness of littering had improved, citing growing public support for anti-litter enforcement shared on social media platforms.
“We are receiving videos and information from members of the public showing individuals littering. This shows that people are becoming more against such behaviour,” he said.
He added that SWCorp would investigate information and videos submitted by the public, including identifying vehicle owners or tracing individuals caught littering on camera.
“We thank the public for providing information to us. So far, there are no rewards given to informants, but many are voluntarily coming forward to help,” he said.
