A 25-year-old Singaporean man will be carrying out court-ordered public cleaning work in Kuala Lumpur after pleading guilty to a littering offence during New Year’s Day celebrations.
The man, identified as Mohamed Nuh Qurasaini Kayat, was fined RM1,500 and ordered to complete four hours of community cleaning work on Feb 13 (Friday). His case marks the first conviction of a Singaporean under Malaysia’s stricter anti-littering law, which came into effect on Jan 1 this year.
Charged under Malaysia’s anti-littering law
Mohamed Nuh was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672). The charge stated that he had discarded a cigarette butt in a public area near a 7-Eleven outlet along Jalan Bukit Bintang, instead of using a designated rubbish bin.
According to news agency Bernama, Mohamed Nuh was unrepresented in court and pleaded guilty. He asked the court for leniency and explained that there were no rubbish bins nearby at the time of the incident.
He was reported to have said that he chose to throw the cigarette butt on the ground because there were already others strewn across the pavement.
Community service arrangements
In a statement released on Monday, the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) said that Mohamed Nuh’s community service would take place together with other convicted offenders across five locations on Friday.
SWCorp did not reveal the exact locations, but told CNA that offenders are required to perform community cleaning in the state where the offence was committed.
Local media reported that the community service includes collecting solid waste, washing public areas, cutting grass, and clearing cobwebs, with offenders wearing special uniforms during the work.
Other cases involving Singaporeans
SWCorp also confirmed that five other cases involving Singaporeans in Johor are currently being processed through its legal channels.
The agency said that since Jan 1, it has issued 644 offence notifications across seven states, involving 500 local citizens and 144 foreign nationals.
The seven states include Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah, as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Stricter enforcement nationwide
“SWCorp calls upon all members of the public, including foreign nationals, to embrace a culture of cleanliness and adhere to existing laws,” the agency said.
“This collective effort is essential for environmental sustainability, public health, and upholding Malaysia’s international reputation.”
Under Act 672, offenders can now be fined up to RM2,000 and may also be sentenced to community service of up to six months, with a maximum of 12 hours of work. Whether community service is within the magistrate’s discretion, with factors such as physical well-being taken into account, depends on the magistrate’s discretion.
Before 2026, littering offences in Malaysia were punishable only by smaller fines and did not include a community service component.
