JOHOR BARU: An Indonesian man has become the first person in Malaysia to receive a jail sentence for littering.
Johor Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said the 36-year-old general worker committed a minor littering offence by discarding a cigarette butt in the Stulang area in February.
He said the man began serving his one-month jail sentence on Aug 28 after failing to pay the RM1,000 fine imposed by the court.
"The man will undergo a six-hour Community Service Order (CSO) upon completing his jail sentence," he said at a press conference after inspecting the implementation of the 50th Series of CSO here on Tuesday (Sept 15).
Meanwhile, he said 107 cases resulting in the CSO had been disposed of in court to date, involving 59 locals and 48 foreign nationals.
Zainal Fitri said the cases resulted in total fines of RM71,550, with CSOs ranging from two to 10 hours.
He said 3,358 enforcement operations had been carried out in Johor to date, during which 3,095 Notices of Offence were issued.
"To date, 789 investigation papers have also been submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action," he said.
Zainal Fitri stressed that littering in public places is an offence under Section 77A of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).
He said offenders may be fined up to RM2,000 or ordered to undergo community service for up to six months, while failure to comply with the order could result in further action, including a maximum fine of RM10,000. – Bernama
