Two foreign nationals in Johor have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged under the country’s newly introduced anti-littering law.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.

Bangladeshi national Sultan Md, 28, and Indonesian citizen Anita Lukman, 49, were brought before the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru today over separate littering incidents that occurred in the city centre on New Year’s Day.

Anita, an odd-job worker, pleaded guilty to throwing a cigarette butt and a drink bottle onto the pavement along Jalan Ibrahim Sultan in Stulang Laut at about 12.41am on January 1, instead of disposing of them in a rubbish bin.

She was charged under Subsection 77A(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007. Unrepresented in court, Anita sought leniency, explaining that she is the sole breadwinner for her two school-going children, aged eight and 15, and feared they might be forced to drop out of school if she failed to send money home.

SWCorp prosecuting officer Siti Adora Rahtiman urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying it would educate both the accused and the public on the consequences of littering.

Sessions judge Nor Aziati Jaafar fined Anita RM500, with a default sentence of 15 days’ imprisonment, and ordered her to complete six hours of community service within six months. Failure to comply could result in an additional fine ranging from RM2,000 to RM10,000.

In a separate case, Sultan, a factory worker, was charged with littering in the same area at about 1.27am on January 1. He requested the assistance of a Bangladeshi interpreter, stating that he did not fully understand the charge. The court allowed the request and fixed January 28 for mention.

The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 came into force nationwide on January 1, empowering courts to impose fines of up to RM2,000 for littering, as well as community service orders of up to six months, capped at a total of 12 hours.