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Man is 1st Singaporean sentenced to community service and fine under Malaysia's new anti-littering law
Mohamed Nuh Qurasaini Kayat pleaded guilty to littering on Jan 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PHOTO: SWCorp
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 09, 2026 7:37 PM
BYDana Leong
www.asiaone.com
A 25-year-old man is the first Singaporean to be sentenced to four hours of community service and a fine of RM1,500 (S$485) for littering under Malaysia's tougher anti-littering law which came into effect on Jan 1.
Mohamed Nuh Qurasaini Kayat was sentenced on Monday (Feb 9) by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, having pleaded guilty to throwing a cigarette butt on the ground near a 7-Eleven convenience store in Jalan Bukit Bintang on Jan 1 at around 1.45am, reported The Star.
He was unrepresented in court and pleaded for leniency, saying he littered after being unable to find a rubbish bin and saw cigarette butts scattered on the floor.
The community service is to be completed within a month. If he fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve a month in jail.
Under the enhanced legislation, culprits caught littering or spitting face a fine of up to RM2,000 and mandatory community service of up to 12 hours, which involves sweeping streets and cleaning drains and public toilets, among other things.
Malaysian waste management agency SWCorp was responsible for pressing the charge, and their prosecuting officer Muhammad Syarihul Mohd Dzahir urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence as a deterrent to the accused and the public, reported The Straits Times.
Speaking to the media after the proceedings, SWCorp chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed said that six foreign nationals have been charged in court for littering offences, reported The Star.
"So far, 644 cases involving littering offences have been recorded under the Act, 500 of which involve Malaysian citizens. More people will be charged in court over the next three days," he said.
He also told reporters that 17 offenders will simultaneously carry out their community service orders on Feb 13 across five locations.
"We do not practise favouritism. We will take action against anyone who throws rubbish in unauthorised places in Malaysia," Khalid added.
In a Facebook post, SWCorp said, "This (court) action proves that public cleanliness laws are implemented fairly and without regard to citizenship status."
The case also serves to make offenders aware of the importance of public cleanliness and to respect the laws of the country they are visiting, added SWCorp.
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