28 foreign litterbugs nabbed in Johor since Jan 1; immigration department to take action against those who miss court dates

JOHOR BAHRU: The anti-littering officers were inconspicuous in the crowd, having swapped their black uniforms for t-shirts, jeans, baseball caps and sunglasses.

Leaning against railings, scrolling on their phones and sipping coffee, they blended in with morning peak-hour commuters at Johor Bahru Sentral, the building adjacent to the immigration complex at the Woodlands Causeway.

A man sitting on a sidewalk flicked his cigarette butt into the bushes, unaware that a phone was recording his actions. 

Seconds later, officers swooped in, flashing their SWCorp (Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation) badges and informing him that he had been caught littering. The man froze, then protested in vain that there was no bin nearby.

At the end of the two-hour operation on Tuesday (Jan 20), five people – all Malaysians – had been caught. All of them declined comment when approached by CNA.

“For most of them nabbed, they were littering even though they were standing close to rubbish bins, so that is very disappointing,” said Zainal Fitri Ahmad, the director of Johor SWCorp. 

The government agency has been tasked with enforcing stricter anti-littering penalties in various parts of the country since the start of the year.

“This culture of having a clean city is something we see elsewhere and we want to inculcate it here,” he told the media, who were invited to Tuesday’s operation. 

The stricter punishment applies to Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis and Kedah as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

On top of fines of up to RM2,000 (US$493), litterbugs may now also be sentenced to community service for a period of not more than six months, with a maximum of 12 hours of work under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).

Dozens of similar enforcement operations have been conducted elsewhere in the country since Jan 1 to deter litterbugs and inculcate a culture of public cleanliness.

FOREIGN OFFENDERS WHO MISS COURT DATES REPORTED TO IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT

Since the start of the year, Johor SWCorp has caught 55 people for littering, said Zainal Fitri. Just over half, or 28 of them, were foreigners, including five Singaporean tourists.  

Whether an offender is sentenced to community service is at the discretion of the magistrate, and factors like their physical well being will be taken into consideration, SWCorp confirmed.

Foreigners who are caught littering will be given an offence notice. They will be informed later of a court date and may be sentenced then.

Johor SWCorp previously told CNA that foreigners caught littering are not barred from leaving or entering Malaysia at the initial stage and will be charged in court at a later date, in accordance with established legal procedures. 

Asked on Tuesday what would happen to foreigners who fail to show up in court or for mandatory community service, Zainal Fitri said SWCorp would then submit a report to the immigration department for “subsequent action”.

“(When they re-enter Malaysia), the record of them not turning up for court will be in the system and they may face enforcement action,” he said, confirming this was the case nationwide. 

Zainal Fitri also confirmed that the first court appearances under the amended law would take place on Friday (Jan 23). They involve two foreigners, a Bangladeshi man and an Indonesian woman. 

“From the earlier statements, they admitted to littering but let’s see what happens during court proceedings,” said Zainal Fitri.

Johor SWCorp is determined to step up enforcement in the state in the short term so that the public – including tourists – are aware of the consequences of littering, he said.

“This is a reminder to all not to litter irresponsibly in Johor. Our officers can be anywhere and they are in plain clothes,” he added.