Two foreign nationals have become the first people in Malaysia to be charged under the country’s newly enforced anti-littering law, according to The Star.
Indonesian national Anita Lukman, 49, and Bangladeshi citizen Sultan Md, 28, appeared in the Johor Bahru Sessions Court this morning following separate incidents in the city centre on New Year’s Day.
Anita, an odd-job worker, pleaded guilty to discarding a cigarette butt and a drink bottle onto the pavement at Jalan Ibrahim Sultan in Stulang Laut at about 12.41am on January 1, rather than using a waste bin.
Unrepresented in court, she appealed for leniency, explaining she is the sole provider for her two school-aged children, aged eight and 15.
The prosecuting officer, Siti Adora Rahtiman, urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence to serve as a lesson about the consequences of littering.
Judge Nor Aziati Jaafar fined Anita RM500, in default of 15 days’ jail, and ordered her to complete six hours of community service within six months. If she fails to comply, she could face an additional fine of between RM2,000 and RM10,000.
In a separate case, Sultan was charged with littering in the same area at about 1.27am on January 1. He requested a Bangladeshi interpreter, and the court fixed January 28 for mention.
The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 came into force nationwide on January 1. It allows courts to impose fines of up to RM2,000 for littering and, where appropriate, community service orders of up to six months, capped at 12 hours in total.
