KOTA KINABALU: Sandakan city council is mulling over the introduction of tougher enforcement against littering.

       This comes after a video showing crowds of people milling about a town area strewn with rubbish, made its rounds recently.

       Social media users have criticised the incident, branding the people in the video as “dirty” and “uncivilised”.

       There were also many people calling on the local authorities to take a stricter approach.

       Sandakan Municipal Council president Benedict Asmat said the district had always stressed on cleanliness and conducted awareness campaigns on this issue for years.

       “However, it could be that after being stuck at home for so long with restricted movement due to the pandemic, they might have forgotten or overlooked this matter,” he said when contacted yesterday.

       He said municipal council workers had gone to clean up the area not long after the video made its rounds, while netizens ranted about the people’s inconsiderate behaviour in public places.

       Benedict urged the people of Sandakan to be mindful of their actions and to practise good hygiene, especially with Covid-19 and all sorts of infectious diseases still around.

       He advised them not to litter and to make use of the rubbish bins provided in many places around Sandakan.

       “We are in the midst of restructuring the enforcement of by-laws and are working towards taking a stricter approach on this matter,” he said.

       Under the littering by-law in Sandakan, a person found littering will be issued a RM30 fine.