Johor bahru: An Indonesian woman was fined RM500 and ordered to perform community service after she pleaded guilty to littering by discarding cigarette butts and drink bottles in a public area. Anita Lukman, 49, admitted to the offence when the charge was read out to her before Judge Nor Aziati Jaafar.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, she was charged with committing the offence at Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, Stulang Laut, at about 12.41 am on January 1, 2026. This case marks the first of its kind in Malaysia, framed under Section 77A of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), which provides for a maximum fine of RM2,000, with a community service order not exceeding 12 hours in total within six months.

In seeking mitigation, Anita, a single mother of two children aged eight and 15, requested a lighter sentence, explaining her presence in Malaysia was solely to assist a friend. Judge Nor Aziati sentenced her to a RM500 fine, with a default penalty of a 15-day jail term, and mandated six hours of community service. Failure to complete the community service could result in a fine ranging from RM2,000 to RM10,000.

The prosecution was conducted by SWCorp prosecuting officer Siti Adora Rahtimin, while Anita was unrepresented during the proceedings.

Meanwhile, in a separate proceeding, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man, Sultan MD, was also charged with littering cigarette butts at the same location on January 1. He requested the proceedings be conducted in the Bengali language as he does not understand Malay. The court has fixed January 28 for re-mention of his case.