PETALING JAYA: Consumers can file a class action suit against a corporation or parties responsible for the recent water supply disruption which affected more than 300,000 account holders as a result of pollution in Sungai Semenyih.
The contamination forced the closure of two water treatment plants, leaving 274 areas in the districts of Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang in Selangor without water supply.
Lawyer Kamaruddin Ahmad said the application can be made based on elements of negligence by a state’s water authority.
This can be extended to the parties which are in default for so-called “hazardous pollutants”, he said.
“They (the state river authority) should have used the Local Government Act to prevent the pollution from occurring,” he told theSun yesterday.
Bar Council president Salim Bashir said the application can be made by individuals, residents associations, consumer groups or other community stakeholders.
“However, the applicants must satisfy a threshold which is only those parties who have been affected or aggrieved by the conduct or affected by the water cuts,” he said.
Yesterday, Bernama reported two men suspected of being involved in the pollution of Sungai Batang Benar, Negri Sembilan and Sungai Semenyih have been detained. They are believed to be connected with the dumping of waste along a river in Nilai.
