50 errant picnickers penalised
Published on: Tuesday, September 03, 2024
By: Sidney Skinner
An errant smoker was penalised for flicking his cigarette butt into his surroundings, instead of throwing it into the bin.
SOME 50 errant picnickers have been compounded for dirtying the Waterfront area in Segama over the past four months as part of separate “Ops Bersih” exercises carried out by City Hall.
A spokesman for the agency’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said 21 of this number were taken to task for disposing of their garbage, including cigarette butts, haphazardly, during the recent Hari Merdeka-Sabah Day weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Fifteen litterbugs were nabbed on Saturday and six others on the following day,” he said.
A picnicker is taken to task for the litter left behind in this part of the Waterfront.
“With the exception of two of these wrong-doers, the rest settled their compounds on the spot.”
He said 15 SWMD personnel attired in plain clothes kept an eye on the common area, near the roundabout with the statue of a Marlin, for six hours between 6pm and midnight, on both occasions.
The spokesman said a total of 29 errant individuals were caught during a similar operation which was conducted on two separate days around the Harvest Festival and Agung’s Birthday public holidays at the end of May.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the Department’s staff carried out their surveillance over a five-hour period, between 6pm and 11pm, in each of these instances.
Twelve litterbugs were reproved on the first inspection and another 17 during the second, according to him.
A litterbug was compounded for haphazardly disposing of his empty cigarette pack.
ADVERTISEMENT
Aside from the Segama Waterfront area, the SWMD team also monitored the section of Likas Bay around the Anjung Selera foodcourt about this time, during which three members of the public were caught littering.
“Our officers have been asked to keep their eyes peeled for litterbugs on certain public holidays and weekends.
“We hope in this way to ensure that those who gather at the Waterfront and Likas Bay area clean up after themselves and do not leave the common area in a mess.
He said the agency was aware that both locations were popular with many of the public who came to watch the sunset, enjoy the sea breeze or hold a picnic.
“However, if they fail to be more civic minded, when it comes to getting rid of their rubbish, and are witnessed littering, then we will not hesitate to take them to task.”
The spokesman said anyone caught disposing of their garbage indiscriminately risked being served with a compound for as much as RM500 under City Hall’s (Anti-Litter) By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005).
He said those who repeatedly disregarded its calls to refrain from littering could wind up having legal action taken against them.
“They will be liable to a fine for as much as RM10,000, if they are found guilty in court.”
When asked about the existing public waste disposal amenities at the Waterfront and Likas Bay area, a spokeswoman for the agency’s Landscaping Department said there were 13 rubbish bins around the first location.
SWMD personnel serving a compound to another wrongdoer at the Waterfront.
“Where Likas Bay is concerned, we have a total of 148 such receptacles spread out over a five- kilometre span,” she said.
She said this distance encompassed the public area near the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) to the bridge near the Tun Mustapha Tower.
There were about 32 bins, between the SICC and the bridge at the first beach, according to her, 35 between the first beach and the roundabout near the State Mosque, 49 between the Mosque and Anjung Selera and 32 between the foodcourt and the Bridge near the Tun Mustapha Tower.
“Each of these bins can contain as much as 40 kg of garbage.”
The spokeswoman said these receptacles were cleared daily by Landscaping staff, with the ones at the Waterfront area dealt with as early as 5am.
“Our Public Park Unit is responsible for attending to the bins at the Likas Bay Public Park, as well as those along the jogging-cum-cycleway.”
The SWMD spokesman said it would consider having more of these receptacles temporarily placed at the Segama Waterfront during public holidays, if it warranted doing so.
Besides SWMD personnel, City Hall’s Enforcement officers have also been keeping tabs on the goings-on at the Waterfront.
A spokesman for the Enforcement Department said an “Ops Payung” and “Ops Degil (Anti-litter)” were conducted from 9am till after dark between April 4 and April 21.
“No compounds for littering were issued during either of these ‘Ops’,” he said.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
