Singaporean director of Malaysian factory pleads not guilty to sabotaging water supply in Johor

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man pleaded not guilty on Thursday (Sept 26) in a Johor court to a charge of indirect sabotage linked to the damage of water supply in a Kota Tinggi village.

Tan Eng Yong, 41, and Malaysian Lau Kam Wai, 53, were charged in a sessions court with conspiring with another individual, who remains at large, to sabotage the maintenance of essential water services in an orang asli village in Pasir Intan, in Bandar Tenggara town, according to media reports.

They were suspected to have committed the offence between 8pm and 11.30pm on Sept 4.

The village is in Johor’s Kota Tinggi district, more than 60km from Johor Baru.

Johor police chief M Kumar said on Sept 25 that investigations related to the disposal of factory waste in a mining area near the village had been completed, and investigation papers had been handed to prosecutors a day earlier.

Tan was identified by the police as a director and shareholder of a factory in Seri Alam, Johor.

If convicted, Tan and Lau face a jail term between 30 and 40 years.

Three other Malaysian men, aged between 23 and 52, including a lorry driver and his assistant, were also charged with sabotaging the maintenance of essential services at the same time and date.

They also pleaded not guilty to the charge, with one of them claiming to be unaware of the “contents of goods” he had been given.

Four other local men were arrested and released on bail to act as prosecution witnesses, the police said.

Earlier in September, residents from several locations in Johor Baru and Kota Tinggi had reported a strong chemical odour believed to be caused by pollution, with more than a hundred people reporting symptoms of nausea and dizziness.

Schools near affected rivers were shut because of the odour, with some students falling ill.

Dozens of orang asli from Pasir Intan had to be relocated after complaining of breathing difficulties.

No bail was granted to the five accused, and the case will be heard on Nov 14 at the Johor Baru high court.

The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information. – The Straits Times/ANN