DoE officers disobeyed orders in waste dumping case, says EAIC

The commission says the officers’ close ties with the company responsible for dumping the hazardous waste had created a conflict of interest.

The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission said the state environmental officers had abused their positions by making recommendations on the appointment of a consultant. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 An investigation by the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) into the waste-dumping incident in Bukit Pelanduk, Negeri Sembilan, found that several officers from the environment department (DoE) had disobeyed orders in handling the case due to alleged close ties with the company involved.

In a statement, the commission said it received two reports alleging abuse of power and interference by a senior officer from the DoE headquarters, as well as several officers from the Negeri Sembilan DoE division, which disrupted investigations.

The reports also highlighted a conflict of interest arising from close ties between DoE officers and the company involved, leading to interference in officers’ transfer orders and the leakage of classified information.

EAIC’s findings further showed that the DoE officers in question had disobeyed orders and acted irresponsibly and dishonestly due to their links with the company, resulting in external interference in the operations and management of the Negeri Sembilan DoE.

The commission also said the state officers had abused their positions by making recommendations on the appointment of a consultant, and that they, together with officers from the DoE headquarters, had failed to declare their assets.

It said it recommended that the officers involved from the DoE’s headquarters and Negeri Sembilan division be transferred out, pending a decision by the public service department’s disciplinary authority.

Earlier this month, the EAIC provided several recommendations for disciplinary action against DoE officers following complaints regarding their handling of a case involving the illegal dumping of scheduled waste in Bukit Pelanduk, Negeri Sembilan, last year.

In October 2024, Bernama reported that the environment department had found 70 to 100 210-litre barrels of used paint and around 50 1,000-litre IBC tanks of oil at Bukit Pelanduk near Port Dickson. - FMT