SMC cracks whip on litterbugs

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.