The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) has issued a total of 7,919 notices for littering offences nationwide within the first five months of this year, says its chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed.
He said the notices involved 5,708 locals, representing 62 per cent, and 2,211 foreigners, or 38 per cent, across states under SWCorp enforcement jurisdiction.
“In Johor alone, 1,418 notices were issued as of Friday (May 22), with about 95 per cent of the offences involving cigarette butt littering,” he told reporters after the ninth series of the Community Service Order programme held at a recreation park in Kulai on Saturday (May 23).
Khalid said the programme in Johor involved 18 offenders aged between 21 and 57 who were required to carry out cleaning duties at the recreational park.
He said the group included 10 Malaysians, including a woman, along with four Indonesians, two Singaporeans, one Bangladeshi and one Nepalese national.
The offenders were ordered by the court to perform community service under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 for littering offences involving small waste items in public areas.
He added that all participants underwent health screenings to ensure they were fit to carry out the cleaning work.
The cleanup activity covered public drains, walkways, a mosque and a food court in the park area, which had been identified as a littering hotspot in Kulai.
He also noted that there were 15 cases nationwide involving offenders aged between 10 and 17, with the first court case involving a 17-year-old in Negri Sembilan scheduled for mention on June 24.
Khalid said 158 offenders nationwide have completed their community service sentences so far.
He added that SWCorp is working closely with local authorities to identify littering offenders using CCTV footage.
He said the agency will continue strengthening enforcement, public education and monitoring efforts to promote a cleaner and more responsible public culture.
