Kick the habit or pay the fine
IN terms of enforcement of an anti-litter by-law in the state, the Sibu Municipal Council is to be commended. The council is leading the way forward!
The strict enforcement of the municipal by-law with effect from July 1 within the designated borders of that municipality is good news for the many civic- minded residents of and visitors to this riverine town.
Not so good news, however, for the habitual litterbugs – their acts are no longer tolerated in the local area where the by-law is operative. They are being observed by many eyes. And the SMC has promised some incentives to anyone who can provide solid information on littering and illegal dumping.
For those who have smartphones – almost everybody has one nowadays – this kind of spying is not difficult. No need to train with the KGB or CIA for a simple job yet richly rewarded by the SMC.
For the first few days or weeks after the announcement of the strict application of the by-law, there’s a job for photojournalists – again, these days everybody is a photojournalist – that can bring an extra income.
Your identity will not be exposed by the council, so it has been assured by its chairman (The Borneo Post July 1). Ample warning given Banners containing warnings on the penalty for littering and messages to educate people on the importance of living without litter have been placed at strategic parts of the town under the council’s jurisdiction. CCTV cameras have been installed somewhere, operating for 24 hours, snapping photos or images of the culprits in action. This visual evidence will be useful for the purpose of investigation and, if required, for prosecution in a court of law.
If moral persuasion does not work, some kind of penalty – in a monetary term – may do the trick. Hopefully, this will act as an effective deterrent against future violation of the by-law.
The story behind this seemingly harsh measure is the admission by the SMC or its predecessor of partial success of a soft approach in educating people not to dispose of rubbish indiscriminately. The council or its predecessor has in the past been proactive in taking measures to make the town clean but things did not go as planned.
According to the chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, “Many cleaning campaigns by non-government organisations received poor response from the public.” He added that the “various Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and environmental programmes initiated to enhance public civic consciousness did not have much impact on public attitude to littering”.
When he revealed that the council had to spend about RM15 million every year on efforts to ensure people live in a clean and pleasant town, he was obviously disappointed with the current state of affairs but, at the same time, determined to try out something other than moral persuasion. A compound of RM500 for littering may work. Nothing political Measures taken to educate people to kick the bad habit of littering in public are apolitical. No political capital should be made out of it. It is a matter of health, of good habit, and of clean environment. As the chairman of SMC has rightly pointed out, “littering would lead to other problems including the degrading of community spirit, impact on the economy, crime, anti-social behaviour and health hazards”. Well said, Datuk.
Do not rubbish the SMC’s determination to make Sibu a clean and pleasant town. Other towns may take the cue; so may the SMC’s immediate neighbour, the rural council. A success story The littering problem is not impossible to solve – all by legitimate means. Take a leaf from Singapore’s book. The republic did it by fining litterbugs! Their anti-litter law was strictly enforced without fear or favour – tourists and locals without exception. If in Singapore the monetary fine has worked, why can’t it work in Sibu or, for that matter, in any other town or city in Malaysia?
Obviously, the SMC is so determined to succeed in implementing the by-law that it is prepared to give incentives, whatever that means, to any informant who can catch a litterbug red-handed or to anyone who can provide a report to the council that leads to investigation and eventual penalty of the culprit.
If it is in the form of money, here’s a chance for the local spies earning a few bucks. So make hay while the sun shines. Just make sure that the council’s authority is not to be abused, though. Avoid the semblance of a police state at all costs. Continue with the campaign
Although the enforcement date of the by-law has been fixed, still there is no harm in having a campaign among schools, offices, villages and longhouses, and in the media, on the ill effects on the community of the habit of rampant littering or illegal dumping.
Publish the by-law in as many languages as possible. People from all walks of life come to Sibu every day; many of them can read but others cannot or do not read but all are presumed to know the bylaw and its raison d’etre. Out of ignorance, the first time visitors to the town are likely to get into trouble with the by-law.
The quantum of the compound is not important – an increase of RM20 to RM500 – but the stigma attached to the commission of a wrong is. It works on the conscience of the individual, according to experts on criminology. Members of the Fourth Estate are looking forward to writing about a success story once they notice any sign of success of the enforcement of the by-law by SMC.
Already, the policy is showing some results: during this week, half a dozen people have been booked for littering. However, the real success of the policy will be a zero littering. That’s when fines are no longer necessary. The day when SMC does rely on income derived from those fines will be a happy day for Sibu.
Meanwhile, we expect those running the local authorities in Kuching and Miri divisions, respectively, to say “what Sibu can do, we can do better”.
Comments can reach the writer via columnists@ theborneopost.com.