PETALING JAYA: Despite the “Johor Bersih” anti-littering campaign, environmental advocates argue that stricter enforcement and greater public engagement are needed, as the RM250 fine for littering proves ineffective due to lax enforcement.
According to The Star, Malaysia Consumer Justice Association president R. Permal Ramasamy suggested the authority to follow Singapore’s hefty fines for litterbugs.
“Even today, we still see and hear about illegal dumpsites being discovered in various places; whereas in Singapore, those who are caught red-handed can be fined up to SGD1,000 (RM3,500) or even brought to court.
“Instead of a RM250 fine, how about giving a RM500 reward to the public who catch offenders in action? This will address the manpower shortage for surveillance,“ he was quoted as saying.
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While Malaysia Bestari Environmental Squad vice-chairman Hafizul Syarafi Mohd Noor said that public education and engagement are key, as online campaigns alone won’t reach offline rural communities and that traditional methods like mobilising village chiefs may be more effective.
“We can try emulating what Pandawara, a youth-led clean-up group in Indonesia, did, but without support from locals, it will not be a success.
Using the 2019 Sungai Kim Kim incident as an example, he stressed the necessity for real-time pollution monitoring systems to enable prompt evacuation during emergencies, while also advocating for the placement of additional CCTV cameras along rivers and drains to aid enforcement measures.
The problem extends beyond individual actions, as Johor Bahru city councillor Chan San San pointed out instances of industrial waste being illegally dumped to evade disposal fees at authorised landfills like the Seelong Sanitary Landfill in Senai.
“They take the easy way out by dumping wherever they see fit,“ she said, adding that civic awareness is lacking, with some squatters near rivers blatantly dumping or burning trash in waterways.
