Two Singaporeans face charges over Pasir Gudang chemical pollution

Two Singaporean company directors will be facing charges for the illegal dumping of chemical waste in Pasir Gudang, southern Johor Bahru.

Singaporeans, Wan Jing Chao (34) and Sim Wei Der (50), and Malaysian Yap Loke Liang (36) are company directors of a used tire processing factory.

Read: Singaporean connected to Pasir Gudang chemical poisoning turns himself in to Johor police

The three were accused of failing to conduct air quality monitoring and failing to notify the authorities about the waste disposal in the river.

They were also accused of abetting Malaysian lorry driver N Maridass (35) in dumping the waste into the river at the Sungai Kim Kim Bridge-widening project last March 7 between 12 and 1 in the morning.

Maridass has been charged in March under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 of Malaysia.

Wan and Sim will be charged in the Malaysian court on Dec 4.

If convicted, the directors face a maximum penalty of five years jail along with a RM500,000 (S$163,135) fine.

The polluted waters in Pasir Gudang have been classified as an oil sludge.

Thousands of civilians were affected by the chemical pollution. Schools in the affected Malaysian districts closed down due to several people falling ill due to toxic fumes. -/TISG

Read: 46 potential pollution sites identified in Pasir Gudang via satellite imagery