By Khairul Azran Hussin
GOMBAK, Nov 24 — The Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) Amendment Bill 2020, which includes heftier penalties against polluters, will be enforced within a month after it was passed at the Selangor Legislative Assembly on November 9.
Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said several processes have to be carried out in order to gazette the amended law, which includes seeking the consent of the Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.
“Once His Majesty has granted the royal assent, the Bill will become law within a month’s time.
“After that, any individual found guilty of polluting the rivers will face heavier punishments,” said Amirudin when met after attending the briefing on the operations of demolishing illegal structures near the Selangor river basin, held at the Selayang Municipal Council office here today.
The amendments to the Luas Enactment 1999 was passed at the Selangor Legislative Assembly after the state had faced several recurring river contamination incidents which led to the temporary closure of water treatment plants.
The Bill was approved with 11 amendments which include increasing the minimum penalty to RM200,000 and setting the maximum fine of not more than RM1 million as well as a mandatory jail term to serve as a deterrent to future polluters.
The amendments also include the polluters to pay to Luas the cleaning cost of the polluted water sources.
