Singaporeans charged with littering in JB attend first community service session

The two Singaporeans charged with littering in Johor Bahru have attended their first community service session at the Taman Pulai Bestari recreational park in Johor Bahru on Thursday (April 30).

Edmund Lim Hu Shen and Tan Boon Haw, both 38, were fined RM1,000 ($318) each and sentenced to six hours of community service by Johor Bahru's Sessions Court earlier this month.

They were caught while discarding cigarette butts at the main entrance of KSL City Mall at around 11am on Jan 3.

Lim and Tan are the first Singaporeans to be charged under littering laws, which allows for a community service order.

The duo — each with broom and dustpan in hand — swept up dead leaves along the pavement of the park for about two hours under the supervision of SWCorp's enforcement officers and finished their service for the day at 11am.

@asiaone Two 38-year-old Singaporeans, Edmund Lim Hu Shen and Tan Boon Haw, attended their first community service session at the Taman Pulai Bestari recreational park in Johor Bahru on Thursday (April 30). They were each fined RM1,000 (S$318) and sentenced to six hours of community service by Johor Bahru's Sessions Court earlier this month. #sgnews #Singapore #malaysianew #Malaysia ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, Johor Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) shared that Taman Pulai Bestari recreation park was chosen for the corrective work order session as it is a "public hotspot suitable for the implementation of community service activities". 

"The location allows offenders to contribute directly to the community through cleaning works while raising awareness on the importance of maintaining cleanliness in public areas," SWCorp stated.

"The implementation of this (corrective work order session) sends a clear message that every littering offence has legal implications," SWCorp director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said.

Both Lim and Tan must complete the remaining period of their sentence within six months.

To date, a total of 822 notices of offence have been issued in Johor, to 457 Malaysians and 365 non-citizens.

Among the non-citizens, 17 Singaporeans have been issued notices of offence, according to SWCorp.

Only 26 of such offences have been prosecuted in court with a total fine of RM21,300 and community service sentences between two and 10 hours for each individual.

Additional reporting by Shafiq Apandi

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khooyihang@asiaone.com