JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor police have issued a stern warning that strict action will be taken against any parties responsible for polluting rivers in Johor.
Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar said this follows recent incidents of river pollution, particularly involving the disposal of factory waste at the Lombong Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan in Bandar Tenggara, Kota Tinggi, on Sept 4.
He said that the activities at the site had led to pollution of the river and nearby plants, resulting in 38 local residents experiencing symptoms such as sore eyes, vomiting, diarrhoea and more.
Meanwhile, Kumar added that police were still investigating pollution incidents in Johor Bahru and confirmed that these were not related to the pollution case in Kota Tinggi.
Earlier, five individuals were charged in the Kota Tinggi Sessions Court today for causing harm to the preservation of essential services, namely the water supply in Bandar Tenggara on Sept 4.
Two of the accused, Tan Eng Yong, 41, a Singaporean, and Lau Kam Wai, 53, a local resident, were charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code (Act 574), read together with Section 124K of the code.
The other three accused, R Navaraj, 23, K Prasanth, 28, and K Jaya Kumar, 52, were charged under Section 124K of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the code.