Nga said 330 Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) personnel have been mobilised nationwide for the new year to ensure enforcement of the order under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).

He said that since yesterday, 42 people had been arrested and issued fines around Bukit Bintang, including 18 foreigners and two children.

“No one is protected from the law. Anyone caught throwing cigarette butts, spitting on the road, or littering will face action.

“Parents and guardians will be held fully responsible for errant children and will have to pay their compound fines,” Sinar Harian reported him as saying in Ipoh, Perak, today.

The new community service order took effect yesterday in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis and Kedah, as well as in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Terengganu are expected to follow suit, pending state approval.

Offenders may be ordered to perform up to 12 hours of community service such as cleaning public areas, collecting rubbish, washing facilities, cutting grass or clearing cobwebs.

They may also face fines of RM2,000 to RM10,000, with community service imposed only after a court conviction. Refusal or failure to comply constitutes a separate offence carrying similar fines.

Nga said the state governments yet to adopt Act 672 have six months to discuss and find suitable methods for its implementation.