ICE FACTORY OWNER FINED RM50,000 FOR UNLAWFUL WATER SUPPLY CONNECTION

KOTA BHARU, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- An ice factory owner was fined RM50,000 by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful connection of water supply belonging to Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB).

Judge Nik Habri Muhamad meted out the fine, in default one year imprisonment, on Mohamad Yusrid Mohd Yusof, 33, who was charged with committing the act on June 7, 2018, at the Pengkalan Chepa Industrial Area here.

He was charged under Section 123(1) of the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) with making an unlawful connection of AKSB water supply to his factory.

The prosecution was conducted by prosecuting officer Suhaidariah Ahmad, from the National Water Services Commission, while the accused was unrepresented.

Earlier, prosecuting officer Suhaidariah Ahmad, from the National Water Services Commission, when seeking the court to impose an appropriate sentence, said the case was serious and caused AKSB to suffer huge losses.

She said the unlawful water connection was carried out for 17 months, causing AKSB to suffer losses of RM41,337.20, as well as contributed to the increase in the percentage of non-revenue water (NRW) in Kelantan.

"The increase in NRW will cause AKSB to experience a shortage of capital to improve the water supply system infrastructure, especially for maintenance work on old pipes.

"Therefore, a proportionate fine must be imposed since the Person Sued is a capable person, in addition to being the sole owner of the factory," she said.

-- BERNAMA