Environmentalists have lamented that the authorities are not seriously enforcing littering laws to curb the habit of throwing rubbish indiscriminately. Kapas Conservation Society (KCS) founder Kayan Ratnam said Malaysia has laws to punish culprits for littering, such as the Environmental Quality Act. Although there has been some improvement in littering awareness over the years, enforcement has been ineffective.
“If Malaysia practise proper enforcement regularly and fine people who litter, just like local authorities that fine car owners for illegal parking, we can quickly solve this issue,” Kayan said.
“Most developed countries are clean today because of the imposition of fines. Immediately imposing a RM50 fine when officers catch people littering will deter them from doing it again. It will take some time, but we will see the results.” Camping and Volunteering Adventures (Cava) leader Bavanie Suppiah said the habit of throwing rubbish in the ocean can have major negative impacts on islands and marine life, and it will get worse if enforcement is not strict. Volunteers at the clean-up event packing rubbish collected from the beach. MUHAMMAD YUSRY THESUN
