INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightJohor Fire and Rescue DepartmentImage caption
A mile-long stretch of Malaysia's Sungai Kim Kim river
became the heart of a poisoning scandal
On the morning of 6 March, an unassuming tanker lorry trundled down a dusty dirt
road in southern Malaysia
Its driver was heading for Sungai Kim Kim, a river snaking through the Pasir Gudang industrial town in Johor state
But what would happen next would expose just how vulnerable local communities are in the area."Based on our investigations, around 20 to 40
tonnes of chemical waste was illegally dumped into parts of the river," said Mohammad Ezzani Mat Salleh from the local environment ministry
Mr Ezzani and his team discovered traces of toxic oil waste commonly used in "marine engine compressors"
Fire and rescue officials also identified at least 15 different types of chemicals - which included the colourless and extremely poisonous
Direct exposure to these hazardous fumes is extremely harmful
And the effects were harsh and swift
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Teams on the ground found traces of poisonous chemicals in air samples
A
day later, 35 people - mostly students - were sent to hospital after breathing in the gases
Two schools near the site were closed.On 8 March, emergency workers in protective hazmat suits were called in.The tally of victims spiralled
alarmingly, and within a week more than 2,700 people were reported to have fallen ill
Victims complained of nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting spells
Hundreds of them needed immediate medical attention and had to be rushed to hospital
Their health is still being closely monitored
As of 20 March, two patients remain in intensive care
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Students and staff from schools in the proximity were among the worst hit
Children were among the worst affected
Some 111 schools remain indefinitely closed
Twelve days on from the incident, Malaysian Education Minister Maszlee Malik said it wasn't clear when they might be reopened."It is still
Teachers [are not required] to be on duty
We are monitoring the situation first," he said.Image copyrightAFPImage caption
An emergency team at Pasir Gudang
prepares clean-up materials
Illegal and unauthorised waste dumping takes place in many parts of Malaysia - out in the open
The Malaysian Nature Society group said that while "good guidelines to control and regulate chemical waste" were in place, they were often
"Our volunteers are very concerned about the Pasir Gudang incident," president Ahmad Ismail told TheIndianSubcontinent News
"The pollution has not only affected public health but also impacted the rich river biodiversity of the Johore Strait
It has disturbed Sungai Kim Kim's ecosystem." He added that the clean-up was being strictly controlled by local authorities
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Conservation groups say the ecosystem has been severely damaged by the pollution
Earlier this year a TheIndianSubcontinent investigation in the sleepy Selangor town of Jenjarom found residents still suffering from
the effects of their town being smothered in 17,000 tonnes of waste - most of it, they claim, from foreign countries like the US, UK and
In Pasir Gudang, recovery efforts continue
But new signs of waste dumping have already emerged
A report from Malaysian paper The Star found construction waste still being dumped and discarded in close proximity to the river.The dumping
is done at night, it reported, with houses along the riverbanks being turned into "landing points"
Nine men face jail In an official statement, Malaysian police said nine people had been arrested over the chemical pollution scandal
"We cannot reveal their age and where they were detained as this could jeopardise our investigation," said Inspector General Mohamad Fuzi
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Malaysia's prime minister said the government would examine the country's anti-pollution
law
Last week Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said his government would not rule out reviewing the country's
anti-pollution legislation - the Environmental Quality Act 1974 - in light of the Pasir Gudang incident
"We will study whether the Act should be strengthened," he told reporters while visiting victims at the Sultan Ismail Hospital
"We usually face water or solid-based contamination, but this is gas contamination - something we have not dealt with."'How could we let
this happen in broad daylight' Across Malaysia, people are asking the same question: How was this poisoning allowed to happenSocial media
was flooded with support for the residents of Pasir Gudang - but also with frustration and anger
Many, like Rayson Lee from the capital Kuala Lumpur, condemned the "blatant pollution" that took place "in broad daylight" and called for
"Malaysians don't care about our country
That is why environmental perpetrators get away," the marketing executive wrote in a top-rated comment on Facebook, which drew hundreds of
"We don't give our environment the respect it deserves - we hardly recycle, don't think much of traffic jams and don't pay attention to the
way corporations fell land to make way for highways and palm oil plantations."Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Though the
government says the site is now clean, it remains under close watch
On 19 March, Malaysia's Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin
announced that the polluted stretch of the Sungai Kim Kim river was now safe.She said 900 tonnes of soil and 1,500 tonnes of polluted water
had been cleaned in the 1.5km (1 mile) area
Officials will monitor the scene for the next fortnight to help allay fears for public safety
that single lorry's waste.
