Punish litter bugs

FROM Bandar Sri Damansara and Kepong to Bukit Bintang and Ampang, the indications are clear that Kuala Lumpur is a dirty city.

It is an unhealthy situation that needs prompt and stern action by the authorities, including the municipal councils and Ministries of Health and Tourism.

Wherever you go -- shopping malls, train station, schools, car parks or back alleys -- you see rubbish dumped on pavements, floors and roads. The state of affairs is equally bad at bus stops, taxi stands, pavements and five-foot ways.

It is commonly known that street sweepers and rubbish collectors are not instructed or employed to clean many of these places which are glaring eyesores to passers-by, commuters, shoppers and tourists. There seems to be a "Who cares?" attitude.

There is a shortage of dustbins in Kuala Lumpur and other cities, which should be provided for by the authorities.

Building contractors and decorators have to share the blame for this deplorable situation which is also evident in Petaling Jaya and the city's outskirts. Contractors discard debris, bricks, stones and wood on roadsides near construction sites.

In Singapore and Hong Kong, the authorities are firmly against littering. Plain-clothes inspectors go out on the beat to catch offenders red-handed.

The authorities must act swiftly and seriously before mountains of trash build up and turn cities into slums.

Warning notices should be put up at construction sites and strategic locations to warn potential offenders. Inspections should also be made to ensure that residents, pedestrians, shopkeepers, builders and motorists abide by the law.

There ought to be a stern crackdown on the offenders. We have the regulations but no one is enforcing them. It is because of this lack of enforcement that they get away scot-free.

By Roselina Hajjar Taman Sri Batu Caves, Batu Caves, Selangor.