Hafizul suggests an approach that includes counselling and psychiatric evaluation.
GREEN Earth Society (GES) Johor has welcomed Housing and Local Government Ministry’s initiative to amend Local Government Act 1976 to include community service as punishment for serial litterbugs.
GES Johor president P. Sivakumar expressed support for the proposal but suggested that the ministry take a phased approach.
He recommends the initial focus to be on imposing heftier fines for repeat offenders, making littering a more serious offence due to its potential dangers.
“A pile of rubbish only needs a cigarette butt to start a fire,” he said.
Sivakumar calls for education campaigns to teach people about proper rubbish disposal.
He pointed out that littering not only harmed the environment but also posed significant health risks.
Sivakumar also said that there was a need for proactive measures, such as having more signs along roadsides to warn people about fines for littering.
“The government could increase the number of rubbish bins in public spaces to encourage proper waste disposal,” he said.
He stressed that clogged storm drains due to discarded rubbish were contributing to floods, which was why preventive measures should be taken before moving forward with community service penalties.
Sivakumar also called for education campaigns to teach people to carry their rubbish with them until they find a suitable place to dispose of it properly.
He was commenting on Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming’s statement that the government was amending the Act to incorporate community service for habitual litterbugs.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Bestari Environmental Squad (Sastari) vice-chairman Hafizul Syarafi Mohd Noor said such penalties should have been implemented long ago.
He suggests a multi-faceted approach that included fines, community service, mandatory counselling and even psychiatric evaluations, as some offenders might suffer from conditions such as major depressive disorder.
“I believe that deeper behavioural change is possible through participation in registered environmental groups, where offenders can join workshops, attend talks and participate in clean-up activities to foster long-term improvements in their habits.”
Hafizul also said Malaysia could take inspiration from Singapore, recognised as one of Asean’s cleanest countries.
“Singapore employs Corrective Work Order (CWO), which includes tasks like cleaning public areas, and imposes stricter fines on repeat offenders.
“We should consider additional measures in Malaysia, such as restricting access to recreational parks for habitual offenders or reducing certain subsidies, with offenders tracked via MyKad,” he said.
On Sept 28, Nga said the proposed penalties, in the amendment, might involve offenders wearing special uniforms while performing tasks like sweeping streets or cleaning public toilets as penalty for two to four hours.
