Compiled by RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM, C.ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
FOUR years after the Sungai Kim Kim pollution incident in Pasir Gudang, Johor, some victims are still reeling from its health impacts, Berita Harian reported.
Puspa Sari Pertiwi Rabu, 33, said she still experiences chronic headaches and numbness on certain parts of her body, as well as dizziness and numbness.
Puspa Sari, who was at her parents’ house in Kampung Bukit Pulai some 20m away from the river during the incident, is also worried that her child – who was born after the tragedy – will suffer from abnormal growth.
The Sungai Kim Kim pollution incident back in 2019, which affected hundreds of victims and forced the closure of 111 schools in Pasir Gudang, took place while Puspa Sari was three months’ pregnant.
Her older brother, Nur Satria Rabu, 37, said residents still fear a recurrence of the incident as there had been a few times when the water in Sungai Kim Kim turned black.
The most recent incident was in November, he said, adding that the Environment Department (DOE) had been informed.
“It is sad that I was unable to get compensation for the damage to my boat and engine as I was not in the database of registered fishermen.
“I brought DOE representatives and firemen around Sungai Kim Kim (during the incident), and started developing health issues. I suffered from rapid weight loss.
“When I went to a community clinic, the doctor only advised me to increase my food intake. I continued to lose weight,” he said.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
