Malaysia, Johor: Sungai Kim Kim victims to file lawsuit

remar nordin The Star 8 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: Victims of the Sungai Kim Kim toxic pollution and the Pasir Gudang Pollution Action Committee will be filing a lawsuit at the Johor Baru High Court soon.

Led by lawyer Kamarudin Ahmad, it will be filed on July 17 against 11 defendants, including the state government and the Johor Mentri Besar.

“The lawsuit represents 160 people, including 34 students, who fell ill, and 120 fishermen from Pasir Gudang, whose livelihood were badly affected by the pollution.

“It will also include seeking RM5mil in compensation for general damages suffered by Irfan Wafiy Idham Wazir.

Kamarudin said the majority of students were from SM Taman Pasir Putih and SM Tanjung Puteri Resort.

“Some of them are victims of Sungai Kim Kim, who fell ill for a second time in the recent pollution.

“We also have enough proof from medical specialists on Irfan Wafiy, which shows that he has myokymia, based on an EMG (electromyography) report,” he said.

Kamarudin denied allegations that the victims fell sick due to mass hysteria and not gas pollution.

“These allegations have given the wrong picture of the actual situation suffered by them due to the pollution.

“It has also caused emotional pressure to the parents, in which the health of their children were affected,” he said.

The majority of the victims are asking for compensation between RM4,000 and RM5,000 each and leaving it to the court to decide on other compensations deemed fit.

Other defendants in the suit include Department of Environ­ment, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Pasir Gudang Municipal Council, the state executive councillor for environment and Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Envi­ron­ment and Climate Change.

MB: High-risk chemical factories likely to be relocated
venesa devi The Star 8 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: Following the chemical pollution in Pasir Gudang, the state government is looking at relocating high-risk chemical factories and setting up a buffer zone as part of long-term measures to deal with the problem that has hit the area twice within months.

Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the relocation of factories comprised a part of a sustainable development plan for Pasir Gudang, which was currently being drafted.

“We have plans to relocate high- risk chemical factories in Pasir Gudang as well as to create a buffer zone that separates industrial areas from residential ones in Pasir Gu­­dang.

“We will also form two committees to monitor and identify the sources of pollution in Pasir Gu­­dang,” he said in his winding up speech at the Johor state assembly yesterday.

“The monitoring committee, consisting of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs), assemblymen and the Pasir Gudang Emergency Mutual Aid organisation will be responsible for providing updated reports regarding the level of pollution in the district.

“The technical and scientific committee will coordinate, oversee and identify the impact of pollution on Pasir Gudang,” he said.

He also said that the technical and scientific committee would involve technical departments within the government as well as experts from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Both committees are required to have regular meetings and submit monthly reports to the local government, urban wellbeing and environmental committee chairman, he said.

Dr Sahruddin said that the state government would also beef up enforcement on factories in Pasir Gudang.

“Factories that are found to have committed offences and given two notices will be ordered to shut down immediately by the local authorities,” he said.