‘Zero tolerance’ for litter bugs: MP
Imagine a day where there are no cleaners around your estate area to clean the litter.
A “No Cleaners Day” – that was what Member of Parliament of Nee Soon GRC, Lee Bee Wah, proposed in Parliament on Monday to curb the increased litter she said she had sighted on many occasions in her estate.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Vivian Balakrishnan, responded to Lee’s concern and reaffirmed Lee Kuan Yew’s vision for Singapore to be one of the world’s cleanest and greenest cities.
Balakrishnan said that while the problem is created by a minority, the burden is borne by the majority. He cited a 2010 National Environment Agency (NEA) survey that stated one-third of the respondents said they would litter if they could get away with it.
He emphasized that Singapore has a “zero tolerance” towards litter and called for a mindset of collective responsibility, thus also reducing the dependence on foreign workers to clean up the mess. He also stressed to create a social norm for cleanliness and exert peer pressure where necessary.
Balakrishnan highlighted in April 2012 that a department of public cleanliness had been set up to govern the state of all public areas.
Moving forward, Balakrishnan said that we should consider giving formal training to citizens and to also review the fines and penalties.
