Kampung maju jaya: The Johor government has enforced the immediate closure of an illegal waste disposal site in Kampung Maju Jaya after it was discovered to be conducting extensive solid waste collection and open burning activities. The State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman, Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor, stated that the decisive action followed an integrated spot check initiated in response to residents' complaints about odour and smoke pollution.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the premises were found operating without a license on 3.64 hectares of privately owned land, which is part of a total 21-acre area. The site was being used as a collection point for various types of mixed solid waste, including wet waste and construction materials. Mohd Jafni emphasized the importance of closing the site for the safety and well-being of residents in the increasingly populated area around Jalan Seelong. Residents had previously reported large-scale open burning at night, causing smoke to spread into nearby residential areas.
Mohd Jafni also mentioned the need to meet with the actual landowner, who had rented the site to the operator, to investigate potential complicity or any sub-operation of the owner's business. The inspection operation at Kampung Maju Jaya involved the Royal Malaysia Police, Department of Environment, Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation, Johor Bahru City Council, Land and Mines Office, and Petronas.
The operator had never obtained a business license from the Johor Bahru City Council or an operating permit from SWCorp. Consequently, SWCorp has opened an investigation under Section 75 of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007. Offenders could face fines ranging from RM10,000 to RM100,000, imprisonment, or both. The investigation paper is expected to be submitted for prosecution within three months.
In addition to closing the site and pursuing legal action against the operator, the Land Office was instructed to issue a notice of action to the landowner, who is believed to be a Singaporean. Checks revealed that the landowner had failed to pay taxes for three years and had rented the agricultural land for about five years. Authorities also found livestock activities on the site; over 300 chickens were seized, but cattle and goats had been removed before the raid.
A technical inspection by Petronas confirmed the area was safe, with the illegal dumping site located approximately 150 meters from the gas pipeline route. Mohd Jafni warned that the state government would continue to take firm action against any parties encroaching on land, operating without a license, or misusing land licenses throughout Johor.
Johor Bahru Utara police chief ACP Radin Ramlan Radin Taha reported the arrest of four men, aged between 31 and 40, at the site on August 9. A local suspect was detained under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959 and is on a four-day remand, while three Bangladeshi men were detained under Section 6(1)(c) of the same Act for lacking valid permits. The three foreign nationals are currently on a 14-day remand for further investigation.