Power to act against law-breaking habits

NOT many of us are aware of the existence of no less than nine key enforcement agencies, and four specialised agencies in Sarawak.

Their primary purpose is to maintain law, order and the various rules and regulations that have been passed as the laws of the nation and the state.

These agencies work in conjunction with each other to manage both state-specific legislation and federal law compliance across the 12 administrative divisions of Sarawak.

Those who are found, caught or determined to have broken any of these laws would have to face the consequences of penalties, ranging from fines to imprisonment.

Enforcement has been the most challenging issue faced by these agencies.

Most of the time when public complaints are aired either on social media, the mass media or by word of mouth, the brunt of the anger, despair and accusation would be aimed at those who are on the ground physically enforcing the letter of the law.

It has to be said that most of the time, due to the lack of human resources and challenged work force capabilities, many law-breaking habits persist throughout the land – from public littering along public pathways, illegal parking on busy roads to driving vehicles that do not meet the basic regulations.

In very simple terms, it is nigh impossible to enforce the law fairly and equally to all, even if we were to have a fully-staffed and well trained law enforcement unit in any of these nine key agencies or four specialised ones.

But of late, what has been happening is the uneven treatment between some law-breakers and others.

Let me give you an example.

During the height of the durian season recently, some itinerant fruit sellers hawking their fares were warned and their goods seized by the enforcement unit of the Miri City Council (MCC) in the city area.

Obviously they did not comply with both the requirements of applying for a trading licence and the location of doing their business.

But these were simple country folks who might be unaware of such needs; after all, they served a demand and such an occurrence appeared to be a ‘one-off’ event during a brief durian harvest season.

Wouldn’t it be more justifiable to relocate them and not just take away their means of livelihood on the spot?

On the other hand, every day one can drive along Jalan Hospital on the way to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching and see dozens (even hundreds!) of vehicles all parked illegally along the yellow-lines on both sides of the already-narrow road leading to the entrance and the emergency entrance of the hospital.

This is actually a hazard as it narrows down the passage for ambulances that urgently need to come and go, to and from the hospital at all hours of the day and night.

This illegal parking has been a scourge for the medical services since time immemorial.

The state government has built proper carparks capable of accommodating hundreds of vehicles. There are a number of privately-owned ‘commercial’ car-parking compounds within walking distance of the SGH too.

Yet for some unfathomable reason, many drivers continue to hog this particular stretch of the road!

Could it be the illegal parkers’ sheer lack of civic consciousness, or simply their nonchalance, pure defiance, or plain laziness?

I put it down to bad upbringing.

Enforcement of these illegal parkers have been erratic at best.

It appears that the few times when the authorities come around to issue summonses on the illegally-parked vehicles have, so far, not been a deterrent at all.

Public littering has been another eyesore for certain parts of the city.

The situation has improved somewhat, but still, there are instances and the nagging feeling that maintaining a clean and healthy environment around the city continues to be a great challenge.

Roadsides and certain spots away from the public eye have attracted the litterer’s endless urge to be used as their dumping grounds for anything – from used tissues to mineral-water bottles.

I have been seeing on social media many photographs of all sorts of littering: from places like back alleys of coffee shops, to the long stretches of the Pan Borneo Highway; from the waterways and drains at the residential areas, to traffic-light stops at busy junctions.

Starting Jan 1, 2026, Malaysia is enacting a tougher new anti-littering law, where under enhanced enforcement, people convicted in court for littering or spitting in public now face fines of up to RM2,000 together with community service orders of up to 12 hours, including cleaning public areas or collecting rubbish.

You, as a responsible citizen, can use your phone to record someone littering.

The act of littering and identifiable details such as a face or a vehicle registration, and landmarks too would help confirm locations.

All you’ve got to do is send the photos or videos to SWCorp via WhatsApp on 013-210 7472, or SISPAA via swcorp.spab.gov.my.

Your contact details are required for verification – complainants are protected, but they may be called as witnesses.

It is not illegal if you record someone in public places where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, even in places like malls, restaurants, coffee-shops and carparks.

Owners and operators of shops too may be fined for failing to maintain cleanliness around their premises.

Foreigners are covered as well under the new law, so are underage children, whose parents or guardians are held legally responsible.

For far too long we have had to stand by and watch someone throw some litter and feel completely useless and unable to do anything about it to rectify the situation.

Now you have the power to act on it. Don’t waste it.

‘Cleanliness is next to godliness’ – often attributed to John Wesley in 1778, this proverb suggests that external cleanliness reflects inner goodness and fosters mental clarity; and that maintaining physical hygiene and a clean environment is a moral duty, closely linked to spiritual purity, virtue, and self-respect.

Essentially, it reminds us to take care of one’s external world to nurture our own inner self.

I’d say Amen to that!