EIGHTY litterbugs took up brooms at four locations around Singapore yesterday and swept the streets as a penance for their anti-social behaviour.

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Only 5800 litter bugs had gone through the CWO in the past 15 years. This works out to only 1.05 person per day. Is the authority trying to say that ONLY 1.05 littler bugs was booked by the entire force of officers???

There's only one reason why this problem still persist and is increasing is because the law is too lenient and kind to these society pests. The campaign has started almost 40 years ago and is getting worse, what a failure on the part of the authority.

Like what the society pest Wan had said, CWO ? he will just do it and get over with it. CWOs should be carried out at places like Orchard Road or Vivo City, and not at some ulu places or HDB estate or East Coast Park. This is not effective enough as the offenders will not feel shamed. Only places like Orchard Road or busy shopping malls, where people traffic is heavy, will be effective. I am sure the underlining purpose of the CWO in the first place, is to shame the offender, so why carry it out at places where there are not much human traffic??

"""'I don't think the CWOs are very useful, she said. 'We should go (with the) softer approach of education"""

Education is totally bullsh*t. This campaign has been on going for almost 40 years or more. Is the speaker trying to tell the public that there are still some idiots out there who is not aware of this law ?? Law aside, a normal person should know that littering is morally wrong as all of us dont do this in our own house. These society pests know what they are doing, its just the "couldnt care less" attitude.

The most effective way to stop littering is 1) heavy fine for even the first offence with mandatory CWO. 2) CWOs should be carried out at places like Orchard Road, and should be extended to say 6 hours instead of 3. 3) Shame these society pests by publishing their photographs (without masking out their eyes or blurring their faces, for goodness sake), and make them apologise to the society, in the major local newspapers.

Its a shame and a failure on the part of the Authority that a campaign started more than 40 years ago is still having problem and its growing bigger and bigger everyday. What education is the authority talking about?????

I totally agree with "cantstandthem" -- still far too few litterbugs are being caught and fined. These people cost taxpayers tens of million$ every year. Give the enforcement officers a higher quota to fill. And forget the "softer approach" -- these people just don't care. Increased fines and a greater likelihood of getting caught are the only "education" litterers need. And if they're foreign workers, out they go.

{Its a shame and a failure on the part of the Authority that a campaign started more than 40 years ago is still having problem and its growing bigger and bigger everyday}

Without wishing to be xenophobic, I am pretty sure this problem is exacerbated by the 1 million foreign workers on our tiny island. They litter & even urinate & defecate where & when they like to, back home, in some of the countries they hail from. The problem of littering is growing bigger in line with the growth in the number of these foreigners on our shores.

what we can do is to be more gracious and share the cleaning our own compound with or without hired cleaners in our society. We have been brought up with this mindset that there is always someone behind us to clean up our mess, so this mindset continue on unconsciously even with stern warning and penalty fine. It is our mind that is set on the wrong course first.

To rid the weed, we must uproot the root of the weed. Or else whne sprinf wind blow, the weed blossom again. And we are just going round the circle of littering and penancing our own selves........around this small island.

Cleaning internal envirnment in our body also reflect the health of this naton, try again http://theinnozablog.blogspot.com to encourage more health mind and wealthy mindset for every reader who take heed.

I agree the number of bins are now reduced significantly after 9-11. But I believe the main litterbugs may not be solely Singaporeans as we were brought up with these endless campaigns in the 80s/90s.... With more foreigners on our land who know nothing about cleanliness, surely the bulk of this act may have come from them.

Some have openly cried out to have a heart for the cleaners.

They wanted the rubbish and more rubbish to keep the cleaners busy and employed. OMG.

They said it is cruel to have more jobless road sweepers and jobless cleaners.

In Japan, the occupants of the houses and the shops [in busy shopping centres and thoroughfare/sidewalks] will sweep the pavements outside their premises a few times a day to clear the rubbish and droppings.

They don't just sweep the pavements in front of their premises but also to the left and the right of their premises, the pavement of their neighbours.

Who like to have an untidy pavement outside your house or shop front?

We do not see this practice in Singpapore. We do not believe in keeping the pavements outside of our premises and those of our neighbours clean with Great Love. We are of a different kind. Many of us are brought up this way.

Educate them.

Where? When?

Please educate them from age 6. Where? Both at home and in schools.

Educate the young from age 6. Get it right when the 'free is young', when pliable.

Not when they are grown up into spoilt brats, liew mung, social pailai, thugs, etc. Too late. Too stiff.

Please tell that to MOE Ng.

Does MOE Ng has a national programme on this aspect of 'Complete Education' and know what it is?

Correction:

Educate the young from age 6. Get it right when the 'mind is uncluttered', when pliable.