From January 1, 2026 onwards, Malaysians found guilty of minor littering or violating public cleanliness laws may be ordered to perform community service.
According to The Vibes, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said offenders can be tasked with cleaning toilets, scrubbing drains, or collecting rubbish.
The sentence will last up to 12 hours over a period of six months.
A corrective approach, not punishment
Speaking to reporters at the National Launch of Malaysia Clean-up Day in conjunction with World Clean-up Day 2025 at Pantai Cahaya Negeri in Port Dickson, Nga said the move is aimed at educating, not punishing offenders.
“This is a corrective measure, not punitive. The decision on how it is carried out – whether in one day or split into several sessions, for example, three sessions of four hours each – is left to the Magistrate’s Court.”
Nga also added that claiming ignorance of the new enforcement will no longer be accepted as an excuse as ample time was given for the public to prepare and multiple announcements were already made.
He cited countries like Korea, Japan, Sweden and Singapore as successful examples of implementing the law in making litterbugs do community service.
“They have already proven the effectiveness of this approach. There are no more excuses. Malaysians have gone to school for years but still struggle to maintain cleanliness. If there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Nga’s announcement comes after Dewan Negara approved amendments to the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Bill 2025 on Sept 8.
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