Man, 40, set to be the 1st S'porean to be charged in Johor for littering

Five Singaporeans are among the 15 people set to be charged in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, for littering.

The first of the five, a 40-year-old Singaporean man, will be charged on Apr. 1.

He is also the first Singaporean to face such charges in the state of Johor, according to a director at Malaysia's waste management agency SWCorp.

According to the New Straits Times, court hearings for the 15 people will begin on Mar. 28.

Five of them have already started serving community service orders.

New laws

In recent months, Malaysia stepped up enforcement against litterbugs via a newly strengthened anti-littering law.

Under the new enhanced legislation of Act 672, offenders, including tourists, 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.

A 25-year-old Singaporean man became the first to be charged under the new regulations on Feb. 9 for throwing a cigarette butt in a public place instead of a designated container.

He was ordered by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to perform four hours of community service and was fined RM1,500 (S$485).

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