(From left) Aiman, KLIA Fire and Rescue Department senior fire superintendent II Mohamad Issmanto Md Pono and Lee surrounded by piles of waste dumped illegally at the site in Dengkil.
MP urges landowners to monitor, secure their properties
LANDOWNERS risk having their properties forfeited if they fail to stop illegal activities taking place on them, says Sepang MP Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu.
Her reminder followed an ad hoc visit to a site in Cybersouth, Dengkil in Selangor, after she was questioned in Dewan Negara about a Dengkil Fire and Rescue Department report on open burning at an illegal dumpsite.
Aiman, who is also Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister, said inspection revealed clear evidence of repeated open burning, including burn marks, large amounts of charred waste, and lingering smoke.
She said the landowner, however, claimed he did not know the identity of the culprits.
“The landowner has been instructed to conduct frequent patrols at the affected site to prevent trespassing and illegal dumping, and lodge a police report immediately if any such activity was found.
“He has also been advised to instal 24-hour CCTV camera surveillance and implement other reasonable measures to secure the site,” she added.
Also present during the visit were the landowner and representatives from Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang), Sepang District and Land Office (PTD) and the Fire and Rescue Department.
Aiman said the landowner had agreed to put up larger warning signs, seal off access points and compile evidence to assist enforcement efforts.
She said Sepang PTD would issue Notice 7A under the National Land Code, compelling the landowner to restore the land to its original condition.
“Failure to comply could result in stronger enforcement action, including the possibility of land forfeiture,” she said.
She added that subsequent action would be through Sepang PTD’s enforcement unit.
MPSepang councillor Kenneth Lee, who was also on site, said the area had a long history of illegal dumping and it likely involved repeat offenders.
It was high time significantly higher penalties were imposed on offenders, he urged.
“Local authorities issue on-the-spot compounds for illegal dumping, amounting to RM1,000 per offence under Collection, Discard and Disposal Garbage By-Law 2007.
“In some cases, the lorries will be seized and additional costs such as release fees can apply, raising the penalty to about RM2,000.
“Many offenders pay within a month and get their lorries back, and possibly continue with illegal dumping activities to recover their losses in just a couple of trips,” Lee noted.
The consequence of being caught was minimal compared to savings gained from illegal dumping, he said.
He reiterated that higher penalties would be a better deterrent.
