MANY TEAMS ON SITE TO HELP, SAYS HANIPA
‘Emergency-level’ response activated in Pasir Gudang, says deputy minister
THE government has mobilised an “emergency-level” response team to mitigate the ongoing toxic crisis in Pasir Gudang, despite no state of emergency being declared.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said agencies such as the police, Fire and Rescue Department, hazardous materials team (Hazmat), the army’s chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) team and engineering corps were on the ground to help address the crisis.
It was reported that cases of victims poisoned by toxic fumes emanating from Sungai Kim Kim, had spiked to 1,000 since last Thursday.
Hanipa added that the federal government had agreed to allocated RM8 million to clean up Sungai Kim Kim, which was reported to have become an illegal dumping ground of toxic waste.
He was debating on the extraordinary motion tabled by Hassan Abdul Karim (Pasir Gudang-Pakatan Harapan) in Parliament yesterday on whether there would be a need to declare a state of emergency.
“Other personnel involved in the operations include the Department of Environment, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Health Ministry and the Civil Defence Force.
“The federal and state governments are funding the clean-up.
“Monetary aid will be given to the victims, who will be decided by the district disaster management committee.
“We admit that this is a problem and we are not running away from it.”
Hanipa said there were a few criteria that needed to be met before a state of emergency could be declared.
He said the Johor State Disaster Management Committee believed that the crisis could be handled by the state authorities.
In response to a supplementary question by Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Kubang Kerian-Pas), Hanipa said a state of emergency could only be declared if requested by the state.
He said under the National Security Council Order 20 Article 3, a disaster was defined if there was a heavy death toll, extensive destruction of properties, adverse effects on society, economy, political stability and public order.
“The crisis must first be handled by the district council. If the problem could not be resolved, it must then be referred to the state government which is Level 2.
“We are now at Level 2. As of now, we are told by the state that it has the means to resolve the problem.
“They neither have the need to refer this case to the federal government, nor the urgency to declare a state of emergency, under National Security Council Order 20.”