JOHOR BARU: The Johor Environment Department is investigating claims of pollution in Sungai Kim Kim, where the water apparently turned milky white.
Department director Mohd Famey Yusoff said an investigation has been launched after receiving a complaint about the matter.
"When our personnel arrived at the scene for inspection, the river water seemed normal colour and no longer milky white as captured in the photos seen on social media.
"It is possible that the water changed colour as a result of a one-off disposal of discharge into the river," he said when interviewed on Thursday (Oct 29).
Mohd Famey said the department and the Pasir Gudang City Council are also going through closed-circuit television footage in the area to identify suspicious activities in relation to the matter.
Earlier, a social media user posted photos of milky-coloured water along the river at a road bypass between Taman Pasir Putih and Kota Masai in Pasir Gudang on Wednesday (Oct 28).
He claimed that the river emitted a foul odour that affected surrounding locations in the area.
Sungai Kim Kim has been linked to several incidents of pollution over the years.
The first wave of toxic pollution in the river hit residents on March 7, 2019, which resulted in more than 4,000 people falling ill and the temporary closure of 111 schools in Pasir Gudang.
During initial clean-up efforts, about 2.43 tonnes of chemical waste were collected on the first day alone.
On Sept 10, after a seven-year wait, 171 people affected by the Sungai Kim Kim toxic waste incident finally won their suit against a tyre processing company, its two Singaporean directors, and a lorry driver.
The High Court ordered tyre processing company P Tech Resources Sdn Bhd, its two Singaporean directors and a lorry driver to pay RM100,000 in costs to the 171 plaintiffs.
