RAUB, Oct 25 — A site supervisor of an agricultural company became the first person to be sentenced under the Water Resources Enactment 2007, since it came into force Pahang, for releasing soil waste into Sungai Merapoh in Lipis.

Sessions Court Judge Ahmad Faizadh Yahaya fined Lew Shou Jen, 49, of Skudai, Johor, RM70,000, in default seven months’ jail, after he pleaded guilty to the offence today. He paid the fine.

Lew was charged with releasing sediments and waste soil from an earthwork area, which was under his supervision, at Lot 5055, PN18884, Mukim Batu Yon in Lipis, into the Merapoh River,  at 11.45am last June 28.

The charge was framed under Section 37 (1)(c) of the Water Resources Enactment 2007, which provides a maximum fine of RM250,000 or jail for up to two years or both.

According to the facts of the case, Lew, who was charged with supervising land clearing work in an area covering between 12.14 hectares and 20.23 hectares, had failed to build a silt trap in the area, causing waste and sediments to flow into the river, hence affecting operation of the Merapoh Water treatment Plant (LRA).

In mitigation, Lew, who is an employee of United Paulownia Plantation Sdn Bhd and is supporting his parents, a wife and three school-going children, said he started work with the company last year and was paid a salary of RM5,000 a month.

Meanwhile, Pahang Enforcement Unit prosecuting officer Izzat Ikhwan Abu Bakar urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence as a lesson to others as the offence committed by Lew had caused inconvenience to many parties.

"Merapoh LRA was forced to close for three days due to murky water, and this affected the daily lives of some 1,701 subscribers, as well as businesses.

"The state government also had to bear the high cost of repairing the damage to the Merapoh LRA,” he added. — Bernama