FMT reported that a 16ha clearing near a hill at Pinang Tunggal had been turned into a dumping ground for plastic and electronic waste from all over the world and set ablaze.

Several residents, who had complained that the air had been smelling like “burnt PVC and wires” for some time, stumbled on the site last week and complained to the state government.

State environment committee chairman Simon Ooi Tze Min said the government has ordered the land owner to fence up the area to prevent lorries from entering and dumping waste.

He said Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) has been helping to clear the site over the past three days. The clean-up cost will be borne by the land owner.

“SWCorp will also monitor the site until the land owner carries out the fencing. After that, only farmers who need to cross the land to get to their plots will be allowed to enter,” he told FMT.

Local government committee chairman Tan Kok Yew said the state government will set up a high-level task force to find ways to curb illegal dumping and stop illegal recycling factories from operating.

He said the state government has actively clamped down on illegal dumping by charging offenders in court.

In the latest case in Pinang Tunggal, the Sungai Petani Town Council (MPSPK) is considering legal action against the land owner.

Ooi also said the state government has ordered a number of factories operating illegally to close down.

He said the local authorities have also received complaints from residents that some factories are still operating despite being sealed.

“We are going to have another operation and this time, we are bringing people from utility companies such as Tenaga Nasional to cut supply to them,” he said.

On complaints of air pollution, Ooi said the state Department of Environment (DoE) has been instructed to conduct air quality checks in the southern areas of Sungai Petani.