Latest news with #MirzaMohamad
New Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Multinational firm fined for industrial effluent breach in Kulim
KULIM: A multinational company operating in the Kulim Industrial Area was fined RM33,000 by the Sessions Court here today for failing to comply with industrial effluent discharge standards. Sessions Court Judge Mirza Mohamad imposed the fine after the company's director, who appeared in court as the representative of the accused, pleaded guilty to the charge. Kedah Department of Environment (DoE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the offence was uncovered during an inspection on Dec 30 last year. She said checks showed that the company's effluent discharge had breached two parameters set under the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009. She added that the company was charged under Regulations 11(1)(b) and 12(b) of the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009, under the Environmental Quality Act 1974. The offence carries a maximum penalty of RM100,000, five years' imprisonment, or both. In pleading for leniency, the company's director informed the court that efforts were underway to upgrade the plant's effluent treatment facilities to prevent future violations. However, the DoE prosecuting officer urged the court to impose a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the offence and served as a deterrent to other industry players.
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Kulim dye factory fined RM20,000 for repeat pollution offence
KULIM: A dye processing company was fined RM20,000 by the Sessions Court here today for discharging industrial effluent above permitted limits from its factory. Sessions Court Judge Mirza Mohamad imposed the penalty after the company's director, representing the firm, pleaded guilty to the charge. Kedah Deparment of Environment (DoE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said investigations revealed that samples taken from the factory's Industrial Effluent Treatment System (IETS) discharge point exceeded legal pollution thresholds. She said the violation was detected during a DoE inspection on Sept 26, 2024 at the Kulim Industrial Area. The company was charged under Regulation 11(1)(b) of the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009, punishable by a maximum fine of RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both. In mitigation, the company's director appealed for a lighter sentence, citing that steps were underway to upgrade the factory's treatment system to prevent recurrence. The director also told the court that the company had suffered financial losses in 2023 and 2024. However, the DoE prosecuting officer urged the court to impose a heavier fine, noting that this was the company's second offence. It had been fined RM10,000 by the same court on Oct 24, 2023, for a similar violation. Tests showed the discharged effluents contained high organic pollution, which can severely affect water quality and aquatic life if left uncontrolled.
