KUCHING, Feb 23 — The Sarawak government is in the midst of coming up with a new provision of law to regulate littering and introduce community service penalties to raise awareness about environmental protection, said Datuk Wee Hong Seng.
The Kuching South mayor explained that this new law could go hand-in-hand with the Offenders Compulsory Attendance Act 1954 (Act 461) to enforce community service orders.
“The state government has drafted a new law, Article 60A, which includes introducing community service penalties. With this, offenders can be ordered to carry out community services, such as street cleaning and cleaning up public areas, as penalties.
“The Act 461 can also be applied to implement the community service orders. This Article has already been submitted to the minister concerned for review.
“The Article will come into force once the Sarawak Attorney General sanctions it. This new law should regulate littering and at the same time heighten public awareness of keeping our environment clean,” he said at his Facebook live session ‘Shall WEE Talk’ yesterday.
He made these remarks in response to the federal government’s amendments to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 and the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
According to Wee, these federal laws are not appropriate for Sarawak, where the local councils are empowered to enforce their by-laws.
He said many members of the public were not aware that the local councils in Sarawak do not need to implement the amended federal laws.
“Sarawak has autonomy over local council issues. We have our own by-laws,” he added.
The mayor believed that ordering those found guilty of littering to clean up public areas should work better than imposing a fine, in terms of awareness and education.
Wee said some individuals, particularly those who care about their public image and reputation, would think twice before they simply dispose of waste.
He added that it would be more educational to order these offenders to clean up public places rather than expecting them to settle a fine.
“Many people think littering is just about disposing of domestic waste, but in fact, unscrupulous disposal of construction waste, bulky waste and trimmed branches and grass also goes against the law, and may face legal action,” he explained.
He said once the new Article is enforced, littering can be effectively curbed.
“The new Article should serve as an effective tool to reduce littering among the community, with efficient implementation put in place,” he added. — The Borneo Post
