JOHOR BAHRU: Three Singaporeans face mandatory community service after receiving compound notices for littering during an enforcement operation in Johor Bahru on Monday (Jan 5), as part of Malaysia’s stricter punishments for such offences which kicked in this year.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government event in Selangor on Tuesday, Malaysia’s Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming confirmed that the three individuals were among five who were caught during an enforcement operation by Malaysian authorities.
He added that similar operations were carried out on Jan 1 and Jan 2 across the country under the government agency SWCorp’s (Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation) Ops Cegah, where 120 offenders were nabbed, comprising 86 Malaysians and 34 foreigners.
“They thought they could do it (litter in public); now they cannot. We want Singapore to be clean, Malaysia to be even cleaner,” news agency Bernama quoted Nga as saying.
He added that the offenders will be forced to serve community service orders under amendments to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672) which metes out stricter punishments for minor littering offences as of Jan 1.
First-time offenders could face fines and mandatory community service orders of up to 12 hours.
