Police Arrest 4 Owners Of Rawang Factory Linked To The Water Disruption In Klang Valley

The water supply has yet to resume after it was disrupted on Thursday, 3 September.

Cover image via Iqmal Haqim Rosman/New Straits Times & Bernama

Late Friday night, 4 September, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) arrested four men who are the owners of a machine factory in Rawang

The machine factory is under investigation for polluting the Selangor River, which forced four Air Selangor water treatment plants to halt operations and leading to a sudden water disruption affecting over 1.2 million residents across the Klang Valley since Thursday morning, 3 September.

The four owners, who are brothers, were arrested during an operation carried out between 11pm to 12.30am last night. They were either picked up from their homes or detained when they reported at the Gombak district police station, according to a report in Bernama today, 5 September.

The Rawang factory was previously compounded RM60,000 for a similar offence.

The four brothers have been running the factory since their father died

According to Selangor police chief Datuk Noor Azam Jamaludin, they will apply for a remand order today at the Selayang Court for further investigation against the four owners, aged between 50 and 60.

The case is being investigated under Section 430 of the Penal Code.

The factory was ordered to suspend operations since Thursday and has since been sealed and compounded with immediate effect

Yesterday, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the factory was alleged to have released solvent into Sungai Gong which flows into Sungai Sembah, one of the main rivers of Sungai Selangor.

Meanwhile, earlier today, 5 September, Air Selangor said that all four affected water treatment plants have resumed their operations in stages since last night. However, the water supply has yet to resume.

While all four affected water treatment plants ― Sungai Selangor in Phases 1, 2 and 3, and Rantau Panjang — restarted operations last night at around 10.30pm, they are undergoing washing and flushing activities.

According to a report in New Straits Times, Air Selangor corporate communications head Elina Baseri said that the ongoing washing and flushing process is being conducted as part of efforts to increase pool levels to four metres before water supply can be resumed for the general public.

"Air Selangor will release a water supply restoration schedule according to the area once the water supply distribution system is stabilised. This includes filling up all main tanks that have emptied, ensuring enough water pressure and that there are no airlocks in the piping system," she said.