Exco member in charge of the environment Hee Loy Sian (PH-Kajang) told the state assembly today that IWK had pleaded guilty to offences under Section 25(1) of the Environmental Quality Act.

“They were fined RM15,000 for polluting the Air Selangor water treatment plant,” he said in reply to a question from state opposition leader Rizam Ismail (BN-Sungai Air Tawar).

Hee said the state government had also filed civil suits against a company owner, Lim Poh Keong, at the Shah Alam Sessions Court to recover RM205,243 cleaning fees on behalf of the Selangor Water Management Authority.

Lim is the sole proprietor of Twin Lim Tyre Recycle Services Sdn Bhd.

“The defendants failed to settle the sum and we have obtained a bankruptcy order against them this year,” he said.

Another company owner, Wong Voon Tee, was charged in the Kajang Sessions Court in 2017 but the accused absconded and the charges were withdrawn.

Recently, Hee said, two cases were prosecuted in court over the Sungai Gong river pollution. The companies were Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd and FG Autoparts Sdn Bhd.

Asked by Dr Idris Ahmad (PH-Ijok) whether further action would be taken by the state government such as seizing land, he said there were plans to seize the land in Yip Chee Seng & Sons’ case.

Last month, the directors and workshop manager of a company had pleaded not guilty at the Selayang Sessions Court on charges of discharging scheduled waste into a river without a licence, leading to pollution. They were freed on bail.

On Tuesday, a father-and-son duo was also charged with committing mischief by disposing and releasing waste containing hazardous materials into Sungai Gong. They also pleaded not guilty and were released on bail.