JOHOR BAHRU (Nov 12): The Johor office of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp Malaysia) seized and closed four illegal dump sites in operations conducted on Nov 8 and Nov 9.

The sites are located in Taman Johor Jaya, Kampung Plentong and two areas in Ulu Choh, Gelang Patah.

In a statement issued yesterday, SWCorp Malaysia's director in Johor, Cairul Hisham Jalaluddin, said the operations were conducted as a result of information received from the public and surveillance conducted over a period of two months.

"We found all the sites were operating illegally," he said, explaining that enforcement action had been taken against some of them previously.

One of the sites comprised a permanent dump site for construction and domestic waste.

Statements were also taken from six men acting as site operators or lorry drivers.

The director said an attempt by one of the six, to offer a bribe to enforcement officers during the bust, had been reported to the Johor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for further action.

He said, this was the first case in Johor, concerning illegal dump sites, to be referred to the MACC. 

Four assets including two lorries were also seized during the busts.

Cairul Hisham also recommended that the state government takes stern action against all offenders, irrespective of the ownership of land that is being misused as illegal dumpsites.