JOHOR BAHRU — Odour pollution in a few areas has caused 27 pupils from SK Kg Maju Jaya in Johor to fall ill with dizziness and vomitting.
The school was closed at around 1pm today on the orders of Education Minister Fadhlina Sider.
The students were treated at the school by healthcare personal except one who was referred to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for further treatment, said Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah Wee Tse.
Puah told Bernama he was personally informed by Fadhlina about the school’s closure.
He urged the authorities to investigate and take stern action on the polluters.
Johor education and information committee chairman Aznan Tamin also confirmed to Bernmaa SK Kg Maju Jaya’s closure today, adding that the authorities will decide on how long it should remain closed.
The school has 1,024 students, 64 teachers and six staff members, and operation in two school sessions.
Odour pollution was detected at Sg Pandan in Kg Melayu Pandan in Johor Bahru on Tuesday. It was also reported in Kg Maju Jaya, Kg Tawakal, Taman Daya, Taman Mount Austin and Taman Istimewa.
Johor Department of Environment (DOE) senior deputy director Mohd Rashdan Topa was reported to have said that ammonia gas with high concentration readings was detected during air quality monitoring conducted at Sg Pandan on Tuesday, but air quality readings returned to normal the following day.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi in a Facebook post today acknowledged complaints of odour pollution in several areas around the state capital.
He said he visited several affected locations to assess the situation and the extent of the pollution.
The menteri besar said an investigation is being conducted by the DOE and the Fire and Rescue Department.
Onn Hafiz added a hazardous materials (Hazmat) team has also conducted a probe to identify the chemical residues in the contaminated water samples and to prevent further contamination.
Police and related agencies have been instructed to set up a special committee to address the pollution issue and ensure strict action is taken against the responsible parties. — September 9, 2024