'Worse than apes' signboards create a stir

BUTTERWORTH: The Seberang Prai Municipal Council has defended anti-littering signboards which states that those who throw rubbish indiscriminately are worse than apes.

Councillor David Marshel said the trilingual signboards were installed to increase awareness among the public not to indiscriminately litter.
He said the Council decide to address the matter creatively as previous efforts like warnings, fines, close-circuit television cameras (CCTV) and planting trees and flowers did not seem to work.

He said the signboards, installed at Taman Kepar, Taman Inderawasih, Taman Telur Indah and Chai Leng Park, seemed to be working as there was no indiscriminate dumping of rubbish since the boards were set-up 11 days ago.

“We plan to expand this to other places if this is seen to be an effective method,” he said in a press conference today.

The signboards which reads “Sesiapa yang membuang sampah di merata-rata tempat adalah lebih bodoh daripada beruk” (Those who simply throw rubbish are more stupid than apes) and a picture of a monkey with its tongue out have created a stir.

Penang Legislative Assembly Speaker and Bukit Tambun Datuk Law Choo Kiang had last week chided the Council for using language he deemed as provocative but Marshel said he would meet with Law to explain the matter.