Cabinet To Discuss Sungai Kim Kim Tomorrow Says Khalid

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 Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad (second from left) at the launch of the KL Bersih campaign in Kuala Lumpur today.KUALA LUMPUR: The toxic pollution that hit Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang will be discussed in detail at the weekly Cabinet meeting tomorrow
Among others, the Cabinet will look at the appropriate punishment to be meted out to the offenders, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad said today
“Information about the pollutants and the appropriate action to be taken against the offenders will be discussed in detail because this is not just a matter of polluting the river, it has affected the residents’ health,” he told reporters after the launch of the KL Bersih campaign here
Asked if there was a need to declare a state of emergency in Pasir Gudang, Khalid said there was no need for that
Earlier today, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim urged the Pakatan Harapan government to declare an emergency in his constituency, following the toxic pollution that hit Sungai Kim Kim
Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan had also proposed at the Dewan Rakyat today that a “toxic disaster emergency” be declared in the area
The motion to declare an emergency is expected to be debated today at the Dewan Rakyat
To date, all 111 schools in the district have been closed and more than 200 people have been treated for inhalation of toxic fumes
Investigators from the Department of Environment (DoE) had identified illegally dumped chemicals in the river which emitted flammable methane and benzene fumes
The owner of a chemical factory in Kulai was arrested on Sunday in a joint operation by the DoE and police. This was followed by the arrest of the owner and a worker of a shredded waste factory from Taman Pasir Puteh in Pasir Gudang yesterday. - FMT

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