525 Malaysian Premises Guilty of Pollution

Sept. 22, 2020

Malaysian authorities have taken action against 525 premises for water pollution offenses between January and August this year 

Malaysian authorities have taken action against 525 premises for water pollution offenses between January and August this year under the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974.

According to Environment and Water Minister Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the Environment Department’s latest data showed that authorities had taken 815 enforcement actions.

These actions included 224 written notices, 517 compounds, 20 equipment seizures, six revocations of licenses and 48 investigation papers for cases to be referred to court, reported the Malaysian Reserve.

Over the six months, 39 premises were found guilty of offenses under the EQA 1974 by the court and have been ordered to pay penalties worth RM1.05 million in total, according to the minister. Senator Idris Ahmad asked the minister to determine the number of factories that have been prosecuted for dumping contaminants into the river and the value of fines imposed on these factory operators from January to August 2020.

A recent water outage in Klang Valley created concerns and renewed debates on industrial activities near local water catchment areas. The supply cut was attributed to the dumping of industrial oil by a heavy machinery maintenance factory into Sungai Gong, which flows into a tributary of Sungai Selangor, reported the Malaysian Reserve.

The pollution forced the closure of four water treatment plants. The company responsible was identified as Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd, based in Rawang, Selangor.

Four company directors and a factory manager linked to the workshop have been charged under Section 430 and 34 of the Penal Code and Section 25 of the EQA 1974.

The company received an eviction notice from the district land office, so they will be forced to clear the land and demolish the factory building within the next few months. According to Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, the state government will be looking to double the fine for water pollution to RM1 million from the current RM500,000 under the Selangor Water Management Authority Enactment 1999.

Read related content about industrial water:

About the Author

Cristina Tuser

Sponsored Recommendations

Get Utility Project Solutions

June 13, 2024
Lightweight, durable fiberglass conduit provides engineering benefits, performance and drives savings for successful utility project outcomes.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

May 24, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Meeting the Demands of Wastewater Treatment Plants

May 24, 2024
KAESER understands the important requirements wastewater treatment plant designers and operators consider when evaluating and selecting blowers and compressed air equipment. In...

Modernize OT Cybersecurity to Mitigate Risk

April 25, 2024
Rockwell Automation supports industry-leading Consumer Packaged Goods company, Church & Dwight, along their industrial cybersecurity journey.