A 25-year-old man from Singapore has become the first person to be sentenced to four hours of community service and a fine of RM1,500 (S$485) for littering in Malaysia. This incident occurred under Malaysia's tougher anti-littering law which was implemented on Jan 1.

Mohamed Nuh Qurasaini Kayat, the man in question, received his sentence on Monday (Feb 9) from the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. He had 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, as reported by The Star.

During the court proceedings, Mohamed was not represented by legal counsel and he asked for leniency, explaining that he littered because he couldn't find a rubbish bin and observed cigarette butts scattered on the floor.

He has been given one month to complete the community service. Failure to pay the fine would result in a one-month jail term.

According to the new law, individuals caught littering or spitting can face a fine of up to RM2,000 and compulsory community service of up to 12 hours, which includes tasks like sweeping streets and cleaning drains and public toilets.

The charge against Mohamed was brought by the Malaysian waste management agency SWCorp. Their prosecuting officer, Muhammad Syarihul Mohd Dzahir, urged the court to impose a suitable sentence to deter both the accused and the public, as reported by The Straits Times.

Following the court session, SWCorp's chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed stated that six foreign nationals have been charged with littering offences. He also revealed that 644 cases of littering offences had been recorded under the new law, with 500 involving Malaysian citizens. Khalid mentioned that more individuals would be charged over the next three days.

Additionally, Khalid informed the media that 17 offenders would simultaneously carry out their community service orders at five locations on Feb 13.

SWCorp emphasized in a Facebook post that the law is applied fairly without considering citizenship status. They highlighted that this case aims to raise awareness among offenders about the importance of public cleanliness and the need to respect the laws of the country they are visiting.