Johor: The Johor Department of Environment (DOE) has arrested the owner and supervisor of a premises in the Pasir Gudang industrial area following an incident involving the emission of orange smoke suspected to be scheduled waste.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the individuals, aged 34 and 41, were taken into custody around 8 pm last night by Johor DOE with assistance from the Pasir Gudang branch. Initial investigations revealed that the premises did not comply with scheduled waste management procedures and licensing conditions as stipulated under Section 16 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

Dr Mohd Famey Yusoff, the director of DOE, stated that a thorough investigation by the Prescribed Premises for Scheduled Waste (PYDT BT) Unit at the incident's location confirmed a serious violation of environmental laws. In addition, air quality monitoring was conducted in nearby sensitive areas, including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Taman Pasir Putih and SMK Pasir Gudang 3, using a portable multigas analyser. Fortunately, no hazardous gas parameters were detected in the surrounding area as of today.

Mohd Famey emphasized that the department would not tolerate industrial operators who neglect scheduled waste management to the detriment of public safety and the environment. He assured that the strictest legal action would be pursued against those found to be in violation of compliance requirements.

The incident was first reported by Deputy Fire Superintendent II Firdaus Ahmad of the Pasir Gudang Fire and Rescue Station, who noted that a 200-litre industrial tank containing "Spent Inorganic Acid" (SW206) at a factory on Jalan Keluli, Pasir Gudang, had a leak. The emergency call was received at 11.59 am, and fortunately, no victims were reported to be affected by the incident. Earlier, images and videos showing a plume of orange smoke over the industrial area went viral online.