3 more S'poreans caught littering in Johor under newly enforced anti-littering laws

Three more Singaporeans have been caught littering in Johor Bahru since the start of 2026, as Malaysian authorities step up enforcement under newly strengthened anti-littering laws aimed at curbing irresponsible behaviour in public spaces.

According to Malaysian media reports and enforcement statements, the offenders were caught in separate incidents during routine enforcement operations conducted by Johor authorities.

Caught in separate enforcement operations around JB

Johor authorities confirmed that three Singaporean men were among those detained for littering offences in Johor Bahru, as reported by the New Straits Times, stressing that there would be “no free pass” for foreigners who flout local laws.

Two of the Singaporeans were caught on Jan. 3 near KSL City Mall in Taman Abad during a small-waste enforcement operation carried out by enforcement officers from the Johor Bahru branch of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), according to a statement posted on the agency’s Facebook page.

SWCorp said the men were believed to have committed the offence of throwing small litter in a public area and were issued offence notices on the spot.

In a separate incident on Jan. 1, another Singaporean was detained during an enforcement operation along Jalan Garuda 2/1 in Larkin Jaya.

SWCorp said in a Facebook statement that the individual was allegedly caught littering near a row of shopfronts and was similarly issued a notice for the offence.

All three cases are being investigated under Section 77A of Act 672.

New anti-littering laws

The cases come amid tighter enforcement of anti-littering laws in Malaysia.

Under the new enhanced legislation of Act 672, offenders may now be ordered to perform up to 12 hours of community service within a maximum period of six months, on top of fines of up to RM2,000 (S$632).

These duties may involve collecting rubbish, cleaning public spaces, cutting grass or clearing cobwebs.

The SWCorp chief executive officer emphasised that enforcement operations, “will be conducted continuously nationwide through sustained monitoring at the state and branch levels”, as cited by the New Straits Times.

In addition to routine patrols, SWCorp has also begun deploying undercover officers posing as members of the public and CCTV surveillance measures to catch litterbugs in the act, the Malay Mail reported.

Officers in plain clothes can issue notices immediately once an offence is observed.

SWCorp said it remains firm in combating littering and improper waste disposal in public areas, adding that it will monitor public spaces through various channels and work with other agencies on joint enforcement operations.

Top images from Sin Chew Daily, Unsplash