We didn’t pollute river and cause massive water cuts, says workshop

 

Pollution at Sungai Gong, Selangor, resulted in water supply disruptions to some 1.2 million households in September last year. (Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: A workshop implicated in water cuts that affected more than a million households in the Klang Valley last year has claimed it was not responsible for polluting Sungai Gong.

Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd denied that it had disposed of hazardous waste into the river, in a reply to a class action suit by PKR Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew and 809 residents.

It said it had appointed two contractors to manage its waste products, in line with the Environmental Quality Act and Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations.

Tan and the residents had filed the suit in the High Court against the company, the state authorities and the federal government over water disruptions in Klang Valley that lasted four days from Sept 3 last year.

The 810 plaintiffs want a court declaration that Yip Chee Seng & Sons ought to be liable for negligence and a declaration that the public authorities, including the state and federal governments, had breached their statutory duties in maintaining water quality.

They are also seeking damages for their suffering during the water supply disruptions.

Also named as defendants are the menteri besar, the Selayang municipal council (MPS), Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) and the irrigation and drainage department.

The defendants from the federal government are the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), the Environmental Quality Council, the environment department (DoE) and the environment and water minister.

Air Selangor and a company, Pakar Scieno TW Sdn Bhd, were also named in the suit.

Yip Chee Seng & Sons also said the RM60,000 fine imposed on them by the local authorities was not related to disposing of hazardous materials.

“The fine was about non-disclosure of waste materials,” it said.

The workshop also claimed that the suit had no basis and that it should not be held liable.

It said the residents’ denial of clean water supply was “due to the authorities’ failure in managing the water resource”.

“If this lawsuit is allowed by the court, we fear that it would ‘open the floodgates’ for other Klang Valley residents to file their cases in court,” it added.

Yip Chee Seng & Sons’ four directors and a manager were charged in the Selayang sessions court last year with allegedly committing mischief by causing hazardous waste to flow into the rivers.

If found guilty under Section 430 of Penal Code, they will face a jail term of up to 30 years, a fine, or both.

They were released on RM400,000 bail each and are awaiting trial before another High Court. - FMT