SIBU: The Municipal Council here (SMC) finally compounded dozens of litterbugs here yesterday after a month of warning them to stop their bad habit.
Twelve enforcement officers, operating in different zones, were stationed along Sibu Central Market and Channel Road early yesterday morning and by 10am they already caught more than 20 litterbugs red-handed. Littering was still rampant at these two places and the officers had a busy day.
The litterbugs were compounded RM10 each for offences such as indiscriminately throwing papers and cigarette butts.
“We have spent an entire month providing education to the public to help keep Sibu clean, and we are left with no other option but to compound litterbugs.
Enforcement and compounding are the last resort,” SMC deputy chairman Daniel Ngieng told The Borneo Post, explaining about their carrot and stick approach.
The pilot project, themed ‘I love A Clean Sibu’, was initiated last month along the busy Channel Road to raise the standard of cleanliness and hygiene here with enforcement commencing yesterday.
Ngieng admitted that Compounding was not a long term measure but the council was compelled to do so as some folk continued their selfish acts.
“The thing is we want people to be more civic-minded and take pride in their town by keeping it spick and span,” he said, adding that they chose education as their long term strategy to galvanise people’s effort in keeping Sibu clean.
Asked if the compounding of litterbugs would be extended to other parts of the town, he said they would do so eventually.
When asked why litterbugs were asked to furnish their MyKads to the officers, he said the compounding by-law necessitated that proper records be maintained.
SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, when met after officiating at Millennium Development Goals Awareness Campaign last Sunday, cautioned that they would impound traders’ goods if they displayed them beyond the two-foot allowance at Channel Road.
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