Johor orders Kempas scrap metal recycling premise to shut down over air pollution risk

Johor has ordered the immediate shutdown of an illegal scrap metal recycling site in Kampung Maju Jaya, Kempas, due to concerns over air pollution. The 3.4-hectare site, located near an underground gas pipeline belonging to Petronas, was found to be engaged in open burning activities, despite being zoned for agricultural use. State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor stated that the land had been operated by an entrepreneur who had been renting it from a Singaporean owner for the past five years.

Authorities are now seeking the identity of the landowner to determine if they were complicit in the illegal activity. The investigation has led to the arrest of four suspects, including three Bangladeshi workers, who are currently being held for four and 14 days, respectively. The site is situated approximately 150 meters from the underground gas pipeline, a concern that was initially addressed by Petronas, which confirmed the pipeline's safety.