Department of Environment (DoE) deputy director-general (Operation) Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said the bill was being deliberated by the energy, science, technology, environment and climate change ministry (Mestecc) and was likely to be introduced as the Environmental Protection Act.

“The scope of DoE’s authority will be further expanded under this new act. It will not only look into strengthening the enforcement, but also new chemicals brought about by the rapid development of industries in the country.

“The new law will look into areas that previously DoE did not cover, such as new parameters in chemical pollution,” he told reporters after launching a seminar on the Environment Quality Act 1974 at a resort here.

Also present was Sabah DoE director Amirul Aripin, who said one of the three palm oil factories along the polluted Segaliud River had its operating permit suspended.

“We opened an investigation in September. We found that it had released factory effluents into the water and the company’s licence has been suspended since Oct 21,” he said.

A palm oil smallholder was also fined RM60,000 for carrying out open burning in Sandakan, he said.