Tabling of amendment to Environmental Quality Act before year-end - Tuan Ibrahim

PORT DICKSON: The amendment to Environmental Quality Act 1974, including to increase the fine amount for water pollution cases, is expected to be tabled in Parliament before the year-end.

Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the proposed amount of fine was RM10 million from the current RM500,000.

“The amendment will also increase jail sentence and we will table it in the next Parliament sitting,” he told reporters after checking the oil spill incident location at Pantai Cermin here, today.

Also present were the Environment Department (JAS) director-general Norlin Jaafar, state JAS director Azuri Azizah Saedon and state secretary Datuk Dr Razali Ab Malek.

Elaborating on the incident which involves an area stretching two-kilometres in Pantai Cermin, Tuan Ibrahim said this was the second time an oil spill had occurred in the area after the first incident in 2009.

“Samples have been taken from the location and were sent to the Chemical Department to be analysed. JAS and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency also conducted sea patrols and drone monitoring to find the source of the oil spill,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 27 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

Meanwhile, police have arrested another man, aged 30, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan at 12.30 am yesterday, to assist investigations into the Sungai Batang Benar pollution case.

Nilai Police deputy chief DSP Azrul Hisham Mohd Shaffie in a statement said the suspect was remanded for six days from yesterday and the case was being investigated under Section 430 of the Penal Code.

Previously on Oct 6, police arrested two men in their 30’s and 40’s who were allegedly involved in the water pollution case in Sungai Batang Benar, Nilai and Sungai Semenyih, Selangor.

The pollution had forced two water treatment plants namely in Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi here to cease operation, causing unscheduled water supply disruption which affected 309,687 consumer accounts in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang.

-- BERNAMA