Cigarette butts remain the leading littering offence in Malaysia, with over 1,700 notices issued under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007.
MELAKA: Cigarette butts continue to be the primary contributor to littering offences in Malaysia, accounting for more than 1,700 of the 2,154 Notices of Offence issued by the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation as of April 7.
SWCorp chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed stated that the statistics reflect an unsatisfactory level of public cleanliness awareness among smokers.
“This shows that awareness of cleanliness, particularly among smokers, can still be improved,” he told reporters after proceedings at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court.
Three local men were fined between RM500 and RM700 and ordered to perform between 10 and 12 hours of community service after pleading guilty to littering cigarette butts in public places during the court proceedings.
Khalid emphasised that littering cigarette butts, though often perceived as minor, has a significant impact on environmental cleanliness and the nation’s image.
He further explained that the common excuse of a lack of rubbish bins is no longer valid, as observations frequently find such facilities located near where offences are committed.
“In some cases, rubbish bins are within two to three metres of the offenders, yet they still choose to discard cigarette butts indiscriminately,” he said.
The increase in proactive enforcement operations has also contributed to the rise in recorded cases, including a notable surge in the first week of April compared to the previous month.
SWCorp will continue to intensify monitoring and enforcement operations to curb such offences, especially in public hotspots.
The public is urged to play a role by reporting offences related to the disposal of cigarette butts to the authorities to ensure appropriate action can be taken.
