KUALA LUMPUR: The draft bill to amend the Local Government Act 1976 will be presented to the Cabinet next year, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He said the act's amendments, including a penalty for community service to wash drains and toilets for repeat litter bugs, are now in the final stage of review before being submitted to the Attorney General's Chambers next month.
"This social service law is not foreign. It has been implemented in many developed countries, including Sweden, Norway and Singapore.
"Singapore has implemented it since 1994. It's been 34 years ... whoever litters are fined SGD$2,000 (about RM6,447), and fined SGD$4,000 for the second offence including a corrective work order to wash and sweep the streets.
"Malaysia is more than three decades behind... that's why Singapore is clean and Japan is also clean," he told reporters after opening the Malaysia Clean-Up Day: Mega Cleaning Programme in conjunction with World Clean-Up Day 2024, which was also attended by Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, here today.
Nga is confident that Malaysians can appreciate cleanliness as practised in Singapore and Japan, including ceasing to throw rubbish from vehicles.
He said the government spends some RM3 billion annually on public cleaning and solid waste management, including in states that have yet to adopt the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672).
Nga expects some 14.5 tonnes of rubbish to be generated next year. If it is not appropriately managed, public health will be threatened, the country's image will be affected, and the people's happiness index will be lower.
"That is why we are holding the programme (Mega Cleaning Programme) today, which is being carried out throughout the country.
"As of 8.20 this morning, 18,000 entries have been received, and I am confident that by afternoon and evening, there will be over 50,000 entries, thus breaking The Malaysia Book of Records for the criteria of the largest number of entries, the heaviest solid waste collection and the longest 'gotong-royong' duration which is 12 hours," he said.
On today's programme, Nga said it was held with the concept of mega mutual 'gotong-royong' covering the scope of cleaning surrounding areas, cleaning and closing illegal waste sites, implementing recycling campaigns and creating awareness on the use of single-use plastics.