PUTRAJAYA, March 3 — More than 1,000 people have been arrested and subjected to Community Service Orders (CSO) for littering in public since the beginning of the year, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He said the enforcement of Community Service Orders under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672) has proven effective in improving public cleanliness.
“We will implement community service sentences in phases. I can see a significant positive impact on public cleanliness, and we are grateful for that, especially as we prepare for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026),” he said.
Nga was speaking to reporters after attending a Ramadan event with Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) staff here today, which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Also present were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, and Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.
Community Service Orders under Act 672 are being enforced as a punitive measure to address littering offences in public areas.
KPKT announced that the law currently covers Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis and Kedah, as well as Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
For Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Terengganu, which have not adopted Act 672, enforcement will start once approval is obtained from the state authorities.
On plans to establish a single national public cleansing entity, Nga said KPKT is introducing broader reforms, including night-time cleaning operations and the gradual conversion of garbage trucks to electric vehicles (EVs).
