42 litterbugs served notices as enforcement of anti-littering law begins

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) has issued 42 notices against individuals found littering in public places during Ops Cegah held in conjunction with the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Full enforcement of offences under Section 77A of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 was implemented starting at 12.01am on Thursday (Jan 1) at 11 major hotspot locations in states that have adopted the Act.

"Of the total, 24 cases involved Malaysian citizens while 18 involved foreign nationals, with 40 cases involving adults and two involving children.

"All offenders will be investigated and brought to court for further action in accordance with the provisions of the law in force," SWCorp said in a statement on Thursday.

The offences detected involved acts of discarding, placing or leaving waste such as cigarette butts, water bottles, canned drinks, tissue paper plastic and food wrappers in public places and on public roads.

According to SWCorp, Ops Cegah was carried out in an integrated manner involving enforcement personnel from SWCorp nationwide, the agency's top management, cooperation with local authorities, as well as 300 staff from concession companies to ensure the affected areas were restored to cleanliness through waste collection, street sweeping, drain cleaning and the placement of additional rubbish bins.

The offence of littering carries a maximum fine of RM2,000 upon conviction and the court may also impose a Community Service Order for a period not exceeding six months, involving work of up to 12 hours in total, with a maximum of four hours per day.

SWCorp chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed stressed that Ops Cegah is not a seasonal initiative but will instead be conducted consistently through ongoing monitoring at the state and branch levels.

"Ops Cegah in conjunction with New Year's Eve 2026 ended at 3am and was followed by cleaning operations this morning to ensure public cleanliness remains at an optimal level," the statement said.

Members of the public can channel cleanliness-related complaints to SWCorp via WhatsApp at 013-210 7472 or through SWCorp's Public Complaints Management System. – Bernama