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PETALING JAYA: Attorney General Idrus Harun said today that Selangor had never referred any water contamination cases to his department, describing the allegations from the state’s mentor Amirudin Shari as “unfounded and false.”
Amirudin had said earlier today that the Attorney General’s Office did not act on state government investigations into the contamination of waterways in the state in April.
But Idrus said in a statement tonight that, in fact, the AGC was only informed about one investigative document that the relevant agencies were opening, and that the investigative document was being completed before handing it over to the AGC.
“Therefore, Selangor menteri besar’s claim that the AGC did not take any action on water pollution in April is false and without foundation,” Idrus said.
Idrus added that the Selangor Environment Department had issued a fine of RM60,000 to the owners of the Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd factories, an action that was taken “without any investigative document being sent to the AGC. “.
Amirudin had said his government had difficulties completing the contamination investigations in April “but subsequently the attorney general took no further action.”
Sungai Selangor’s water pollution led to the temporary closure of four water treatment plants last April, leading to disruption of water supplies to residents of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor , Gombak and Kuala Langat.
Amirudin had said that the state government had no power to collect from those responsible for water pollution. “Only the Ministry of Environment and Water could take such action against these violators under the Environmental Quality Law of 1974, which is a federal law,” he said.
