Indonesian litterbug weeps after first conviction under new Malaysian law

Two foreign nationals have become the first people in Malaysia to be charged under a new anti-littering law.Sultan Md, 28, a Bangladeshi, and Anita Lukman, 49, an Indonesian, were charged in the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru on Friday morning.Anita, an odd-job worker, pleaded guilty to throwing a cigarette butt and a drink bottle on the pavement on Jalan Ibrahim Sultan in Stulant Laut at 12.41am on January 1.The offence was framed under Section 77A(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007.Anita, who was unrepresented, asked for a lighter punishment, saying she is a single mother and has to care for two school-going children, aged eight and 15.“I am only helping my friend with odd jobs and my children may miss school if I do not send enough money home,” she said, tearing up.Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) prosecuting officer Siti Adora Rahtiman asked for a suitable punishment for the accused as a lesson to her and the public not to litter.