Johor probing 9 Malaysian firms for allegedly dumping construction waste from Singapore: Official

Johor probing 9 Malaysian firms for allegedly dumping construction waste from Singapore: Official The companies allegedly transported construction waste across the Tuas Second Link before dumping it near villages in Pontian, according to the head of Johor’s waste management agency. PONTIAN, Johor: Nine Malaysia-registered companies are under investigation for allegedly transporting construction waste from Singapore into Johor and illegally dumping it at three sites near villages in the state’s Pontian district, a senior enforcement official said on Wednesday (Aug 12). Zainal Fitri Ahmad, director of the Johor chapter of government agency Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), said authorities had gathered sufficient evidence linking the nine firms to the dumping and further action will likely be taken against these companies. If charged and convicted, the companies and their representatives could be fined up to RM100,000 (US$24,447) and jailed for up to five years, he added. The waste is believed to have been transported from Singapore via the Tuas Second Link before being discarded on at least three plots of land in Pontian, Zainal Fitri told CNA while surveying one of the sites about 25km from the Tuas immigration checkpoint. The alleged illegal dumping was first reported by Malaysian news outlet Kosmo last Saturday. According to Kosmo, trailers unloaded the waste at night and in the early hours of the morning at several sites. The dumping of waste, allegedly from Singapore, had caused cracks in villagers’ homes and damaged roads in the villages, it reported. Malaysian Member of Parliament for Kepong Lim Lip Eng called for accountability in the wake of Kosmo’s report. He questioned who had inspected the cargo and allowed it to enter Malaysia. The Johor state government announced on Tuesday it would set up a multi-agency task force to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations. The agencies would include SWCorp, the police as well as the Pontian district office. The waste CNA saw at three sites on Wednesday included slabs of concrete, metal pipes, reinforcement bars as well as construction gear including helmets and safety vests. Zainal Fitri said early investigations indicate the waste originated from construction sites in Singapore. “We have evidence that these companies dumped the waste illegally, without approval from SWCorp or any other government agency,” he said. Malaysian government agencies found that the waste had been declared as agricultural waste at the land entry points, he added. “We have stopped the illegal dumping for now. The area has been closed off … and we will open an investigation paper (into the nine companies) under Act 672,” he said, referring to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007. Zainal Fitri declined to name the nine companies, saying they will be revealed later. CNA has contacted Singapore’s National Environment Agency to ask what rules govern the country’s export of construction and other waste, and whether it is investigating if any companies violated the rules. CNA has also reached out to Malaysia’s Customs Department on how the companies purportedly transported construction waste into the country by declaring it as agricultural waste. HOUSES SHAKING, PEOPLE COUGHING, SAY RESIDENTS The three alleged illegal dump sites that CNA visited on Wednesday were along the busy Jalan Parit Belokok and close to several villages. Each plot, roughly half the size of a football field, had been cordoned off by the authorities, with notices stating that investigations were underway. Cranes stood amid the construction debris and the sites were deserted except for SWCorp enforcement officers. Zainal Fitri said the illegal dumping of such waste poses risks to nearby communities. “This waste may have chemicals or other harmful material that could harm the residents who live in the surrounding area. It involves the health and safety of (people),” he said. Residents affected include those living in Kampung Parit Rambai, Kampung Sungai Dinar, Mukim Sungai Karang and Kampung Sungai Senai Belokok. The dumping occurred only metres from some homes. Maria Zakaria, a 71-year-old retiree from Kampung Senai Belokok, said the dumping began in April less than 50m from her home. The trucks would begin arriving at around 5pm and continue rumbling through the area into the early hours of the morning, she said. “The trucks come in droves and these are heavy vehicles … The ground and houses (would) shake and we find it difficult to sleep,” she said. She and members of her family have suffered prolonged coughing, which she attributed to dust from the site. “These are bad coughs that last up to a month,” she said. Another resident, business owner Muhammad Tajuddin Kamar, lives less than 100m from another plot in Mukim Sungai Karang. The 53-year-old said members of his family have fallen ill more frequently since the dumping began. “We would get the flu, with high fever and cough. Now we know that these are illegal dumping sites for waste, it makes me upset,” he said. “I hope something is done to punish these companies and this doesn’t happen again.”