SHAH ALAM, May 5 — A recycling plant in the Mahkota Beranang industrial area, in Semenyih, is suspected to be the source of odour pollution detected in Sungai Semenyih two days ago.

State executive councillor for Public Health and Environment, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, said a Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) inspection on May 3 detected an abnormal odour in the river, with a threshold odour number (TON) of two. The pollution is believed to have originated from the factory’s discharge.

She added that further LUAS inspections found a coloured discharge suspected to have been released directly into the drainage system, which then entered Sungai Kabul. The premises also reportedly failed to comply with licensing conditions under Selangor’s Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP).

“In response, LUAS implemented comprehensive prevention and immediate mitigation measures, as the pollution posed a risk to the operations of the nearest water treatment plants (WTP), specifically the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi WTPs.

“LUAS immediately began recovery efforts in Sungai Kabul and surrounding areas by applying about 100 kilograms of activated carbon for deodorisation and initiating intensive odour monitoring in both Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih,” she said in a statement today.

Jamaliah said that LUAS ordered the premises to cease discharges and to conduct immediate cleaning and control measures at the site and related areas.

She added that mitigation measures included pumping water from Pond B and Pond C under the Selangor Raw Water Guarantee Scheme (SJAM) to supply up to 770 million litres per day of raw water directly to the Sungai Semenyih WTP, ensuring uninterrupted supply.

“Sampling was conducted by LUAS at the affected locations within the premises and has been sent to the Department of Chemistry (JKM) for further analysis.

“LUAS has opened an investigation paper under Section 79(4) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 for the offence of polluting water sources, and Section 59 for failure to comply with licence conditions,” she said.

Jamaliah also said that LUAS monitoring at 8pm yesterday detected no abnormal odour in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Kabul, and river conditions had returned to normal.

“SJAM operations ended at 8pm, and the Sungai Semenyih WTP has resumed normal operations using raw water from the river.

“Nevertheless, LUAS will continue to closely monitor Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih to ensure there are no further pollution effects or risks to plant operations,” she added. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The family of the late Teoh Beng Hock has filed a fresh application seeking to compel police to open a murder investigation into his death 17 years ago.

The application for leave to commence judicial review was filed at the High Court last month, said lead counsel Ramkarpal Singh at a press conference today, according to Free Malaysia Today.

He said the family is seeking a court declaration that Teoh’s death should be investigated as murder, as well as an order compelling police to complete the investigation within 120 days of the court order.

The court has fixed May 18 for hearing, and the cause papers will be served to the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Ramkarpal said the family had previously written to police asking whether any past investigation papers on Teoh’s death were opened for murder.

He said police replied on January 20 stating that the probe was only for “wrongful confinement” under Section 342 of the Penal Code.

Co-counsel Lim Wei Jiet said the wrongful confinement probe had no connection to Teoh’s death, describing it as a minor offence.

He also said some investigation papers had been opened before 2018, but the focus of those probes remained unclear.

Teoh, an aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead in July 2009 on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after being questioned at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office.

An inquest returned an open verdict, but the Court of Appeal in 2014 ruled that his death was caused by “one or more unknown persons”, including MACC officers.

Two special investigation teams were set up in 2011 and 2015, but both cases were classified as no further action by the public prosecutor.

Police completed the wrongful confinement investigation last year following a court order in 2024, and the Attorney General’s Chambers later classified the case as NFA, citing insufficient evidence to prosecute any individual.