Singapore — Workers’ Party Member of Parliament He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) urges residents to be proactive in keeping their estates clean.
Ms He noted that while there were many workers who worked hard to ensure that the estate was clean, some residents were not doing their bit.
She recounts that she saw litter being thrown out of an HDB flat. She also noticed rubbish left on the floor instead of being disposed of properly in a garbage can.
Ms He says that while Sengkang Town Council and its cleaners have a part in ensuring that the estate is clean, residents themselves should also take responsibility for their own actions by cleaning up after themselves instead of leaving their rubbish for others to clean up.
It was reported that there were fewer littering and smoking offences committed in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
However, things may be taking a turn for the worse in terms of cleanliness in Singapore.
According to Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng (PAP – Tampines GRC), approximately 60 per cent of the new Tampines North cleaning contractor’s migrant workers were unable to enter Singapore and start work due to tightened restrictions at the borders. He mentioned this in a Facebook post, adding that this resulted in operational challenges and a severe shortage of employees. The depleted workforce also has additional duties such as sanitation and disinfection to take care of.
Under the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA), litterbugs can be fined a maximum of $2,000 for their first court conviction, $4,000 for their second conviction, and $10,000 for subsequent convictions.
Corrective Work Orders (CWOs) may also be issued to reform offenders, /TISG