If you have been casually tossing rubbish or flicking cigarette butts onto the ground, this might be the last Chinese New Year you celebrate without a broom in your hand.
Minister of Housing and Local Government, Nga Kor Ming, has announced that more than 300 people were caught littering since the start of 2026.
As such, all of them will be ordered to carry out community service before Chinese New Year.
As reported by Sin Chew Daily, Nga revealed that since New Year’s Day, enforcement officers have issued fines to over 300 offenders for throwing rubbish and cigarette butts in public areas.
He added that 120 littering cases were recorded within the first two days of 2026 before the figure more than doubled in just 20 days.
Offenders to sweep streets and clean public toilets
Nga said all offenders will be instructed to complete community service before Chinese New Year, which include sweeping the streets, cleaning drains, and washing public toilets.
He added 300 enforcement officers from the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) were also instructed to actively track down litterbugs and enforce the community service order, which came into effect on January 1.
Fines of up to RM10,000
Upon being caught, offenders will be brought to court after the Attorney General’s Chambers gives the green light.
A judge will then decide the appropriate punishment, which includes fines ranging from RM2,000 to RM10,000.
Nga said this applies to both Malaysians and foreigners and urged the public to take responsibility for keeping the environment clean and hygienic.
Community service lasts 12 hours in total
It was previously reported that each community service session will last a total of 12 hours.
But instead of completing all hours in one session, offenders will fulfill the hours in multiple sessions of at least two hours each.
Nga said that since the community service order was introduced, public cleanliness has shown noticeable improvement.
He cited Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur as an example, where the area saw less rubbish on the streets after a recent public event was held there.
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