Law change to make litterbugs clean drains, roads and toilets
They are the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, and the Local Government Act 1976.
Nga said the three amendment bills, which will be tabled tomorrow for the second reading, are part of efforts to ensure the success of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and to strengthen the long-standing Look East Policy.
He said if the proposed amendments are passed, offenders will be required to perform up to 12 hours of community service while wearing green uniforms provided by the authorities.
"As such, we seek the cooperation of all MPs to unanimously support the amendments, as it has proven successful in developed countries such as Sweden, Japan and Singapore.
"This is the time, and we must ensure that this law can be enforced this year," he told reporters after a city walkabout held in conjunction with the launch of Kuala Lumpur Architecture Week 2025 today.
Nga said those convicted of such offences will carry out community service such as cleaning drains, sweeping roads and public toilets, working alongside cleaning staff.
Anyone who fails to comply with a community service order will be committing an offence and, upon conviction, will face a fine of between RM2,000 and RM10,000.
He said cleanliness is not only a civic duty but also a moral and religious obligation.
"Cleanliness is half of faith.
"We must ensure that when tourists visit Malaysia, they see a country that is clean and attractive, not dirty or unkempt," he said.
Yesterday, Nga in a statement said that on Sept 28 last year, the ministry recorded the collection of 51.9kg of food waste, 64.3kg of paper waste, 127.6kg of plastic waste, and 541 cigarette butts within just 12 hours in the Pasar Seni area during the Malaysia Clean-Up Day programme.
He said the figures showed that fines were no longer effective in deterring repeat offenders.
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