Refer to this: Fadillah (third from left) launching the Sungai Tebrau information signage at Kampung Bakar Batu in Johor Baru. Also present are Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (second from left) and Ling (third from right).
JOHOR BARU: Amendments to the Water Services Industry Act are expected to be tabled in Parliament in November to punish polluters with heavier fines of up to RM10mil, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said the amendments would seek to increase penalties for offenders with fines ranging from RM1mil which could rise to RM10mil, and the possibility of imprisonment.
“We aim to broaden and clarify the definitions of rivers and pollution to close existing legal loopholes, allowing us to take more decisive action against those responsible for contamination,” he said.
Section 121 of the Act, which outlined offences related to water contamination, currently stipulated fines that ranged from RM100,000 to RM500,000, besides possible whipping or imprisonment in cases where there was no death as a result of the offence.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the government had recently launched a task force to combat river pollution, which involves federal and state governments and key stakeholders.
“The task force will focus on strengthening laws and improving infrastructure to address the root causes of pollution.
“One of the key steps being taken is the amendment to the Act, which has already been approved by the Cabinet and is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the November meeting,” he told reporters after launching the national level celebration of World Water Day at Kampung Bakar Batu near Sungai Tebrau yesterday.
While stricter penalties were crucial, Fadillah said that prevention was the priority.
“Raising public awareness and getting NGOs and local communities involved in the protection and restoration of rivers is essential,” he said.
Fadillah noted that one of the primary sources of pollution was outdated sewage systems.
“Our country has old sewage systems that are not connected to the centralised treatment facilities, leading to untreated sewage flowing directly into rivers. This is something we are working to stop from happening.
“The government has already implemented a centralised sewerage system in Sarawak, and a similar system is being planned at the national level to prevent untreated waste from entering the rivers,” he added.
On another matter, Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon told reporters that about 150 light and heavy industries had been identified for the production of chemical waste which had been discovered at the Tiong Nam Industrial Park and Desa Tropika Industrial Area here.
This came about after reports of odour pollution at various locations in Johor on Sept 3. They included Pandan, Skudai and Tebrau in Johor Baru, as well as Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan in Kota Tinggi.
It led to dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and fever among nearby residents.
“We have now formed a special task force comprising officers from the Environment Department, police force, and local authorities.
“This team will conduct large-scale inspections and visits to the identified factories to trace the origin of the chemical waste,” he said.
He also said that the waste was typically associated with industrial by-products.
Ling said the government had spent RM177,000 on the clean-up effort at the Tiong Nam Industrial Park while RM84,000 was allocated for the second site in Desa Tropika Industrial Area.
The clean-up and disposal of the illegally-dumped chemical waste at the two locations are slated to complete by today.
