RM15,000 fine for breeding Aedes mosquitoes

KUALA LUMPUR: Construction company Kenwingston Sdn Bhd was fined RM15,000 by the magistrate’s court here yesterday for a second offence of breeding Aedes mosquitoes at its premises.

Magistrate Wong Chai Sia meted out the punishment after the company’s representative, security director Muhammad Haidhar Mohd Hazlan, 31, pleaded guilty to the charge.

A warrant for levy of fine would be issued if the company fails to pay the fine.

The company was accused of breeding the Aedes Aegypti larvae at the construction site at Lot 67619, Jalan Metro Perdana Barat, Taman Metropolitan Kepong at 11.15am on March 13.

The charge under Section 13(1) of the Destruction of DiseaseBearing Insects Act 1975 was read together with Section 13(2) and punishable under Section 23(b) of the same Act.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of RM50,000 fine and five years’ jail.

Earlier, Kepong Health Office prosecuting officer Nurhuda Mohamad Ramli requested for a deterrent punishment as it was the company’s second offence. Kenwingston was fined RM8,500 for the same offence in November.

As a result, the company was ordered to close the site between March 13 and 26 for cleaning work.

“This will serve as a lesson to developers for the sake of the people’s health,” she said.

According to the facts of the case, a team from the Kepong Health Office found mosquito larvae in water puddles during an inspection at the site.