Have you driven home after work, you follow one car and the next minute you’re seeing trash flying out like it’s no one’s business? First, it’s a Twisties wrapper and then a Coke can.

Or you have been the culprit throwing the trash out? Forget the MNRE campaigns or any other NGO recycling and environmental advertisements. We are like people who watch something, say “Oh! This is good”, then have dementia the next minute. When are people going to stop littering?

It costs us to take our trash to Tafaigata and yet some of you think that all of Samoa is a trash bin.   Perhaps it’s time to start carrying out punishment for those who deliberately do this. We talk about being clean and green, yet not everyone wants to keep Samoa clean.

I stay in the jungle and by that, I mean I do not stay in town. We do not have nice, cemented sidewalks and have grass at the front of our gate. For years, people have treated some of it as a dumping ground.  Are you in a similar situation?

Shall we take a leaf from Singapore? The country is bent on maintaining its reputation of being a clean nation. With active campaigns against littering and enforcement, first-time offenders who throw small items like cigarette butts or candy wrappers are fined $300. Those who throw out bigger items such as bottles or drink cans will stand before the court.

The punishment usually involves a Corrective Work Order (CWO) where the offenders clean up a specified area while wearing a bright luminous vest. This was done not only to make the offenders realise how hard it is for cleaners to do this work but also to publicly shame the offenders to ensure they don’t regress to littering again. Perhaps it’s time to introduce this to Samoa, whether you are a local or tourist, ignorance is no excuse.

Now I’m not saying everyone should be taken to court. The courts do not need more work.  There are arms of government ministries that are responsible for waste management. If fining is too harsh, guess what they do to those who vandalise public or private assets? Cane them. Vandalism is a serious offence. The penalties include fines, jail and three to eight strokes of caning. Damaging, destroying and stealing public property as well as drawing, painting, writing, inscribing and marking any private property without the owner’s consent are considered illegal.

Have you seen the Samoan public toilets, some buildings and even schools? You can read names, villages, and profanity on the doors while you do your business. Utter disrespect for public and privately owned assets.

Also, Singapore will hang you if you smuggle more than 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of meth or 500 grams of cannabis. Human rights activists speak out, but the law is the law in Singapore. If you murder someone, you will be executed and sent back in a box to your country of origin if you are not a local.  

Singapore does not play around with littering or non-violent offences that can wreak havoc on their small island. Believe me, it’s one of the safest places I’ve studied in. Big Brother is everywhere, and a low crime rate is not zero crime. Enjoy the rest of your week Samoa and remember, keep your trash in your car and clean up your mess. You are welcome to write on the walls of your toilet and house just not publicly owned assets.  

 Enid Westerlund is a regular columnist for this newspaper. She is an aviation specialist, business consultant, author and loves teaching children to read on the weekend.