Pahang litterbugs plead to avoid community service
KUANTAN: They were ordered to clean up their act — literally — but some litterbugs in Pahang have instead turned up at the solid waste management office, pleading to be spared community service.
KUALA LUMPUR: Litterbugs in the state of Pahang have approached the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) pleading to avoid community service. The offenders, which include civil servants and professionals, have offered to pay a higher fine rather than carry out community service. However, the SWCorp has firmly rejected these attempts at negotiation.
Cairul Hisham Jalaluddin, director of SWCorp Pahang, revealed that a total of 3,295 notices were issued across the state from January to September of this year, with approximately 200 offenders ordered to perform community service. Despite the threat of a hefty fine of up to RM10,000, some offenders appear more concerned about performing community service tasks such as cleaning drains and sweeping litter in public areas.
During a recent program, 22 offenders aged between 19 and 68 were required to perform between two and four hours of community service in four districts - Kuantan, Bera, Pekan, and Temerloh. Cairul noted that offenders in Pahang come from various backgrounds, including foreigners, professionals, civil servants, students, and retirees, with some being over 70 years old.
In contrast to previous months, there has been a decline in littering incidents since the implementation of the new anti-littering law, particularly in rest and service areas and outside shopping malls. This decline may be attributed to the efforts of plainclothes enforcement officers who have been successfully encouraging individuals to dispose of their waste in designated bins.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
