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Iman Muttaqin Yusof

Malaysia’s heritage state of Penang has begun using body camera footage to prosecute litterbugs, widening a national clean-up drive that could see offenders fined or ordered by a court to carry out community service.
The tougher enforcement, which took effect on Wednesday after a six-month grace period, gives patrol teams from the Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai City Council powers to record offences at public hotspots across one of Malaysia’s best-known tourist states.
Penang local government committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye said enforcement officers would patrol public areas, including places where small litter such as cigarette butts, tissues, plastic waste, bottles and food wrappers were often discarded.
“Do not litter, even if it is only a cigarette butt, tissue or small waste,” H’ng said in a social media post after joining Seberang Perai mayor Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid and enforcement officers during a check in Bandar Perda.
H’ng said each operation would be led by an authorised officer, with body camera footage used to ensure enforcement was carried out “transparently and professionally” while also serving as evidence.

“There will be no warnings. Once our enforcement officers obtain sufficient evidence through body camera recordings, they have the authority to issue a notice immediately,” he said separately after the statewide enforcement walkabout.
The offences cover dumping rubbish into drains, littering in parks, beaches and recreational areas, throwing rubbish from vehicles and leaving food waste or rubbish behind after trading in public areas such as night markets, hawker centres and food courts.
Those issued with a notice will be taken to court. If convicted, they can be fined up to 2,000 ringgit (US$489) or ordered to perform up to 12 hours of community service within six months, or both.
Those who defy a court-ordered community service order can face a separate fine of between 2,000 ringgit and 10,000 ringgit.
The move gives Penang a sharper enforcement tool as it tries to protect its image as a heritage and food destination. George Town, the state capital, is part of a Unesco-listed historic city shaped by more than 500 years of trade and cultural exchange between East and West.

Malaysia introduced community service orders for littering on January 1 in states and federal territories that adopted the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, including Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Penang did not adopt that Act and is instead enforcing the order under amendments to local government and street, drainage and building laws.
H’ng said the state gave both city councils six months to prepare the enforcement mechanism, public awareness campaign, notices and court process before full enforcement began.


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Duty officers are empowered to issue a notice to offenders, who could face a maximum fine of US$489 or up to 12 hours of community service


Duty officers are empowered to issue a notice to offenders, who could face a maximum fine of US$489 or up to 12 hours of community service.


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No more warnings for litterbugs as Malaysia’s Penang deploys bodycams

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Duty officers are empowered to issue a notice to offenders, who could face a maximum fine of US$489 or up to 12 hours of community service

Duty officers are empowered to issue a notice to offenders, who could face a maximum fine of US$489 or up to 12 hours of community service