Padawan Municipal Council to deliberate on community service order for littering offences

(From fourth left) Ahmad, Tan, Yap and others prepare to toss the ‘yee sang’ during the event.

KUCHING (Feb 21): The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) will discuss the proposal by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) to implement a community service order of up to 12 hours for minor littering offences.

MPP chairman Tan Kai said the matter needed to be discussed first as the proposal was from the federal government through the KPKT.

“We will discuss the matter first and announce the decision. If the state government, especially the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, agrees to the proposal, we will look into it.

“If the policy is good and can really help reduce the habit of littering, we can discuss whether we follow it or not, and if it is implemented in Peninsular Malaysia, we will see the results first,” he said.

Tan was met by reporters at the council’s Chinese New Year open house at the MPP Building yesterday.

The ceremony featured Senator Dato Ahmad Ibrahim as the guest of honour, and was also attended by Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap, councillors, community leaders and MPP staff.

On Wednesday, KPKT in a statement said it plans to implement a community service order of up to 12 hours for minor garbage dumping offences through several amendments to relevant Acts.

It said the amendments involved the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007, and the Roads, Drains and Buildings Act 1974.

“Through the amendments, if a person fails to comply with the community service order, on conviction the person can be fined RM2,000 to RM10,000.

“The current legal provisions under the relevant Acts permits a fine of RM500 to RM2,000 or imprisonment for up to one year,” the statement read.

KPKT said the proposed community service order was aimed at raising awareness and educating the public on the importance of cleanliness, discouraging the irresponsible disposal of small waste in public areas.