YTL Construction ordered to pay RM180,000 over flooding at Johor surau

A Malaysian contractor has been ordered to pay RM180,000 in damages after a high court ruled that its construction works caused recurrent flooding at a place of worship and adjacent farmland in Johor. Judicial Commissioner Noradura Hamzah found Syarikat Pembinaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn Bhd (YTL Construction) negligent and guilty of private nuisance over a temporary drainage system installed as part of a railway electrification project.

The flooding, which occurred between November 2020 and April 2022, damaged the surau, religious artifacts, crops and aquatic life. YTL Construction argued that the site's topography and river conditions made flooding inevitable, and that its works had been approved by authorities. However, the court concluded that the temporary culverts were inadequate, altered natural water flow, and that YTL Construction had failed to properly design, inspect and maintain them.

The ruling also found that the contractor concealed a stop-work order and withheld crucial information from its consultant engineer. The plaintiffs involved were Ghazali Ismail, chairman of the Management Committee of Kariah Surau Ar Rahman, and Sharom Othman, a public officer for a local community group. The total damages awarded were RM180,000, including RM95,000 for specific losses and RM40,000 for ongoing nuisance. YTL Construction must pay 5% annual interest on the damages and RM120,000 in legal costs.