KUALA TERENGGANU: A railway service contractor company operating in the Marang district was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here today for failing to comply with a notice issued by the Terengganu Department of Environment (DOE) last year.
The company, represented by its employee, pleaded guilty to the charge after it was read out before Judge Mohd Zul Zakiqudin Zulkifli.
According to the charge, the company failed to take any action to reduce pollution by ensuring that the wheels of machinery and vehicles leaving the project site were cleaned before entering public roads.
The notice was intended to reduce the impact of dust and debris pollution on the public; however, the company failed to comply on Oct 4, 2023, leading to the charge under Section 31(3) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which carries a maximum fine of RM25,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Terengganu DOE prosecuting officer Yusnalis Yusoff said the failure to control air pollution from the wheels of machinery and vehicles leaving the project site showed the company’s lack of concern for the notice issued by the DOE on Aug 23, 2023.
“Therefore, I request that the court impose an appropriate fine on the company as a lesson to encourage greater concern for environmental protection in the future,“ she said.
Judge Mohd Zul Zakiqudin said that environmental pollution is a serious offence, and the company should have prioritised the public interest over its own business interests.
He then imposed a RM10,000 fine on the contractor, who was not represented by a lawyer, and ordered a three-month prison sentence if the fine was not paid.
