Liew looking at a lorry load of rubbish that was about to be dumped at Kampung Sungai Temon.
TWO men planning to dump industrial waste at Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temon in Perling, Johor on Sunday were in for a surprise.
They were caught red-handed in the act by Perling assemblyman Liew Chin Tong himself.
Liew said during his earlier visit to the village on Saturday, he had come across a lorry he suspected was attempting to dump industrial and construction waste there.
“When I asked the lorry driver about his vehicle load, he stammered and said he was told to go to the village by his boss.
Garbage illegally dumped at Kampung Sungai Temon, which is 14km from the Johor Baru city centre.“I then told him that I wanted to see what he was ferrying, but he immediately backed up the lorry and drove away,” Liew said in a statement.
The Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said he then decided to make another visit to the village located about 14km from Johor Baru on Sunday, this time with Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) enforcement officers.
SWCorp, he said, caught two different individuals in the act of illegal dumping.
According to the Iskandar Puteri MP, the two people admitted to have dumped rubbish at Kampung Sungai Temon many times, with even bigger lorries and heavier loads.
He added that SWCorp issued summonses under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 on the two.
“According to villagers, illegal dumping has been happening for months.
“They complained that the rubbish emitted foul smell and attracted flies,” he said.
“This creates a worrying health threat.
“The illegally dumped waste is piled up less than 30m from the villagers’ houses,” he said, adding that there were construction waste, red soil and plastic waste dumped at the site.
“There is also suspected chemical residue clogging the drains and polluting the water source,” he said, adding that the villagers also complained of breathing difficulties.
Liew warned manufacturers and contractors, involved in illegal dumping and compromising public health and environmental cleanliness, that they would be severely punished.
He urged the public to immediately report details to relevant authorities whenever they witnessed acts of illegal dumping.
He reminded all companies to ensure that waste was properly disposed of.
“We need to protect Johor Baru as it is our home. Do not let it become an illegal rubbish dump.”
