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CITY Hall officers will be keeping their eyes peeled for litterbugs at Lorong Centre Point over the coming Wesak Day and Harvest Festival public holidays. 

This action follows a video posted on social media about the rubbish, including empty bottles and takeaway drinks, left behind around the brick planter boxes and on the covered walkway beside Centre Point Shopping Centre during the TYT’s birthday-Hari Raya holiday long weekend last month.

A spokesman for the agency’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said anyone caught disposing of their refuse indiscriminately risked being served with a compound for as much as RM500 under its Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984 (Amendment 2005).

“We are aware that some members of the public have the habit of gathering beneath the shelter to get some respite from the sun or rain,” he said.

“However, they should dispose of their garbage responsibly in bins placed near the planters and not leave the common area in a mess.

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.” 

He said City Hall had twice been contacted about the video, once at the beginning of April and then again last week. 

SWMD officers met with to staff of the management company (MC) for the shopping centre about what had transpired, shortly after the second report was lodged.

A joint inspection was carried out of the covered walkway later that same day, according to him. 

“We were made to understand that the video was taken early in the morning on the second day of the Hari Raya public holidays, before the cleaners for the shopping centre had reported to work.”

He said the firm had engaged more than five workers to keep the common area around the building in order.

“The MC has agreed to get this team to step up its efforts to empty the bins and sweep up the refuse beneath the shelter on festive occasions. 

“Our officers were told that, during public holidays, the cleaners would be asked to come in at least an hour before the shopping centre opened to clean up the walkway.” 

In the meantime, he said SWMD officers would monitor the goings-on around the building to try and catch any members of the public who disposed of their rubbish indiscriminately.

He said those who repeatedly disregarded the agency’s calls to refrain from littering in the common areas could wind up having legal action taken against them.

“They will become liable to a fine for as much as RM 10,000, if they are found guilty in court.”

The spokesman said the agency collected a total of RM2,660 in the on-the-spot compounds from 133 litterbugs as part of its “Ops Bersih’ over the past two months.

About RM1,540 was accrued in March and a further RM1,120 in April.

He said the wrong-doers were spotted disposing of their rubbish, including cigarette butts, indiscriminately. 

“A total of 142 smokers were caught between March and April. About 133 of them settled their compounds right away, while nine others elected to do this within the allotted grace-period.”

Between four to five SWMD inspectors in plain clothes carried out 52 separate inspections between March 3 and April 28.

These checks involved properties within the City Centre, as well as those in areas ranging from Telipok to Lido, according to him.

He said those in Kota Kinabalu, included the shophouses in Kg Air, Sinsuran and Segama, as well as along Jalan Gaya, Jalan Tugu and Jalan Haji Yakub. 

“The highest number of litterbugs was nabbed around Kg Air (38), followed by Sinsuran (19) and Segama (17).”

When it came to areas outside the City limits, the spokesman said the SWMD team went to Damai Plaza, Foh Sang, the Bornion shophouses, Kingfisher Plaza, the Alam Mesra commercial centre, EG Mall, Manggatal Plaza, the Salut and the Commercial Centre.

Checks were also made in the Tanjung Aru, Lido, Manggatal and Telipok townships.

“Tanjung Aru was the location with the most offenders, in this instance, with 14 litter-bugs caught in this area.

“This was followed by the Kingfisher Plaza, where 12 errant individuals were nabbed. Seven were taken to task around Manggatal Plaza, with five penalised at Damai Plaza.” 

The spokesman said City Hall had been coming down hard on littering violations in a bid to get the public to take a more active role in keeping the State Capital clean.

“It is not just up to our garbage collectors and street-sweepers to keep the commercial properties around our rating-area looking presentable and pleasing to the eye, especially to the many first time visitors from abroad.

“It is the collective responsibility of everyone who lives, works and frequents these locales.”