SHAH ALAM: A company director, his wife and three companies have been slapped with 30 charges under the Environment Quality Act 1974 and the Selangor Waters Management Authority Enactment 1999 for polluting Sungai Selangor that led to water supply cuts affecting some 1.2 million consumers in the Klang Valley on Merdeka Day.

Ng Kim Bok, 55, and his wife H’ng Soo Chiew, 56, together with Muhibbah Mok Sdn Bhd, Muhibbah Mok Workshop and Ng Kim Bok Realty Sdn Bhd, were charged at a Sessions Court here yesterday.

The couple were charged in their capacity as directors of Muhibbah Mok and Ng Kim Bok Realty Sdn Bhd.

Ng also faced charges in his capacity as the sole owner of Muhibbah Mok Workshop.

They were accused of disposing scheduled waste (oil), putting scheduled waste into inland waters, and polluting the land with scheduled waste without licence under the Act, while under the Enactment, they were accused of releasing oily waste into a water source, and drawing water from a water source without approval and licence.

The offences were allegedly committed at Sungai Bakau and Sungai Gong in Gombak, both tributaries of Sungai Selangor, between 9.50am and 11.40am on Aug 30 and Sept 2.

Ng and H’ng pleaded not guilty and claimed trial before judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar.

The court fixed bail at RM100,000 for H’ng and RM150,000 for Ng with one surety each. The case is fixed for mention on Oct 10.

DPPs Mohd Ashrof Adrin and Dinesh Raja Dorai Raja appeared for the prosecution while the couple were not represented.

Mohd Ashrof later told reporters that the workshop was located at the spot where the incident took place and Ng Kim Bok Realty owned the land. The workshop’s parent company is Muhibbah Mok Sdn Bhd.

On Aug 31, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) activated its emergency response plan following the closure of four treatment plants due to oil pollution.

-mStar