Owner of smoky lorry fined RM3,000

KUALA LUMPUR: A shop owner was fined RM3,000 by the Sessions Court here yesterday because the smoke emitted by his lorry during a smoke test about seven years ago exceeded the permissible density.

Judge Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob handed down the sentence on Mook Kim Seng, 44, who is director of Kim Xin Hardware Trading, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mook was driving the lorry when it was stopped for a smoke test at the Connaught Expressway here at 10.53 am on Oct 20, 2011.

The result found that the black smoke emitted by Mook's lorry emitted smoke with 90.2 percent density, which exceeded the permissible limit under Regulation 11(1) of the Environmental Quality (Control of Emission from Diesel Engines) Regulations 1996.

Mook was charged under Section 22(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which provides a fine of up to RM100,000, or imprisonment for up to five years, upon conviction.

Earlier, the prosecution, conducted by prosecuting officer from the Department of Environment, Dina Abdul Samad, when asking for the court to impose a deterrent sentence, said the department had also imposed compound of RM2,000 on Mook for the offence which was not paid until yesterday.

Mook, who was unrepresented, paid the fine. - Bernama