TOUGH YEAR FOR STATE DAP LEADERS
Illegal carbon filter factory was the biggest bombshell dropped this year
THERE seems to be no respite for Penang DAP leaders who are involved in corruption probes since last year. Last year, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was charged with two counts of corruption in June.
Earlier this year, Sungai Pinang assemblyman Lim Siew Khim was called in for questioning over graft allegations involving her father, Lim Keat Seong.
However, the biggest bombshell was when state Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh was detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Aug 11.
He was arrested in connection with an illegal carbon filter factory in Sungai Lembu, which had been operating for the past 10 years.
The factory’s 70-year-old manager and his 37-year-old son, who is a director at the factory, were also detained to facilitate investigation.
On Aug 10, MACC officers and the Department of Environment (DoE) and Inland Revenue Board personnel raided the Seberang Prai Municipal Council.
They were seen leaving with bundles of documents pertaining to the factory.
The same raiding party had also stormed Phee’s office in Komtar here and seized additional documents.
He was detained after being summoned to Penang MACC to have his statement taken.
It was found that the factory had violated federal guidelines, including not having a proper air pollution control system.
Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin raised concerns that the improper release of emissions from the factory could have caused residents living near the factory to suffer from illnesses.
Statistics from the district Health Department stated that 11 people were suffering from various types of cancer.
However, a 2015 investigation could not confirm if the emissions contributed directly to the residents getting cancer.
The factory has been operating on agricultural land inside an oil palm estate.
Phee said an application was made by the factory operator requesting to rezone the land from agriculture to industrial, but it was rejected.
He said the land was for agrobased industries and not for industrial use.
The main reason behind the arrests was due to the delay in implementing a demolition order issued by DoE in 2015.
This was revealed by Pulau Betong assemblyman Datuk Muhamad Farid Saad, who slammed the DAP-led state government, which refused to allow the demolition works to take place.
Dr Norlela echoed the same concerns as no action was taken to demolish the structure.
It was found that the factory had to go through a “legalisation process”, an order issued by Phee in May 2015.
Farid questioned why it had taken the state government seven years, after Pakatan Harapan took over the state government, for it to issue the order for structures built after 2008.
He also asked why the state government did not make public the new policy as part of its legalisation exercise.
Phee and the other two were remanded for five days under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for abuse of power for gratification, but it was cut short to three days.
They were released on Aug 14.
Dr Norlela was delighted by the action taken by the authorities over the factory and made her feelings public through her Facebook posting.
However, there were some members of the public who felt that she had an ulterior motive.
Dr Norlela received angry calls and was harassed, but she defended her stance.
On the day of Phee’s release, DoE issued an order to seize the factory.
On Nov 25, the probe into the factory was said to be in its final stages.
This was revealed by MACC chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, who said the commission would be submitting its investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers soon.
With 2018 just around the corner, it remains to be seen if Phee will finally be charged with graft over the factory scandal.