JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Victims of the two recent pollution cases in the Malaysian state of Johor, and those who say their livelihoods were affected, will be filing a lawsuit on July 17 against 11 defendants, including the state government and the Johor Menteri Besar.

The lawsuit will be filed at the Johor Baru High Court by lawyer Kamarudin Ahmad, who said he was representing the victims. 

“The lawsuit is representing 160 people, including 34 students who have become victims and 120 fishermen from Pasir Gudang whose livelihood had been badly affected by the pollution,” Mr Kamarudin said at a press conference held in the district on Sunday (July 7).

Mr Kamarudin said a majority of the student victims are from SMK Taman Pasir Putih and SMK Tanjung Puteri Resort schools, who had first been affected when air pollution stemming from the illegal dumping of chemicals into Sungai Kim Kim in March resulted in methane gas spreading through the air. That incident caused victims to experience symptoms including nausea, headaches and breathing difficulties, prompting the closure of 111 primary and secondary schools in the Pasir Gudang district.

Barely three months later, dozens of students reported experiencing breathing difficulties, along with nausea and dizziness, leading the authorities to shut 475 educational institutions for three days from June 25. But hours after the schools reopened on July 1, dozens of students and their teachers experienced similar symptoms and were rushed to clinics.

“Some of them are the previous Sungai Kim Kim victims who had fallen victim again in the recent gas pollution,” Mr Kamarudin said.

He said the lawsuit also includes a demand for RM5 million (S$1.6 million) in compensation for the general damages suffered by student Irfan Wafiy Idham Wazir, a 12-year-old student of Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Dahlia, who reportedly developed myokymia after he was believed to have been exposed to the toxic pollution in Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang in March. The condition causes parts of the body to tremble. 

His father, Mr Idham Wazir, last Monday sneaked into a closed-door town hall session between Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin and industry players to deliver a rebuke to Malaysian officials reportedly arguing over who should pay for safety measures after the pollution incidents. The outburst went viral on social media last week.

Ms Yeo said last Thursday that joint enforcement operations will be carried out to shut down illegal factories in Pasir Gudang.

But Malaysian Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye said on Saturday that the authorities had conducted background checks on the boy and found that he was born prematurely and had a history of fits since he was four.

Mr Kamarudin also denied allegations that the latest victims had suffered mass hysteria and not gas pollution, saying such allegations painted a bad picture of the students. “It has also caused emotional pressure to the parents whose children’s health have been affected by this incident,” he added.

He said a majority of the victims is asking for compensation between RM4,000  and RM5,000 each and are leaving it to the court to add any other compensation if necessary.

Other defendants include the Environment Department (DOE), Irrigation and Drainage Department, Pasir Gudang Municipal Council (MPPG), the state Environment committee chairman, and the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.

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