THREE POLICE REPORTS LODGED OVER SUNGAI JOHOR POLLUTION

KOTA TINGGI, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Three police reports have been lodged so far over the Sungai Johor pollution incident.

Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said that two reports were filed by affected residents, while the other was lodged by Ranhill SAJ.

He said further investigations would be carried out by the Department of Environment (DOE) under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

“The police are only monitoring the situation and assisting the agency in completing the investigation,” he told a press conference after inspecting the situation at Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang here today.

He said the pollution had so far affected three villages, namely Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang, Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan and Kampung Orang Asli Kempas Menang.

The pollution incident that occurred last Friday has affected 455,757 account holders, or nearly 1.8 million residents in Johor, in stages.

The incident also affected the livelihoods of over 150 fishermen, including members of the Orang Asli community, along the upstream Sungai Johor.

Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh was previously quoted as saying that the pollution was caused by soil movement, which led to the collapse of a sand-dredging pond owned by a company at an inland sand mining site here, resulting in the contamination of Sungai Johor.

--BERNAMA