Indonesian man first in Malaysia to end up in jail for littering

An Indonesian man has become the first individual in Malaysia to be incarcerated for discarding a cigarette butt in a public area. Johor solid waste and public cleansing management corporation (SWCorp) director Zainal Fitri Ahmad revealed that the 36-year-old worker was found guilty of the offense in Stulang area back in February. He stated that the man commenced serving his one-month prison sentence on August 28 after failing to pay the RM1,000 fine imposed by the court.

According to Zainal, the convict will be subjected to a six-hour community service order (CSO) upon completing his jail term. He disclosed this during a press conference after inspecting the execution of the 50th Series of CSO in Johor. So far, 107 cases have been resolved through CSO orders, encompassing 59 local Malaysians and 48 foreign nationals. The associated fines amounted to a total of RM71,550, with the duration of CSOs ranging from two to 10 hours.

Zainal further revealed that 3,358 enforcement operations had been conducted in Johor to date, leading to 3,095 Notices of Offence being issued. Additionally, 789 investigation papers have been submitted to the deputy public prosecutor for further proceedings. Littering in public spaces is an offense under Section 77A of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).

Offenders may face fines up to RM2,000 or serve community service for up to six months, with non-compliance potentially resulting in further penalties, including a maximum fine of RM10,000.