A Pakistani man was fined RM10,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court after pleading guilty to illegally dumping solid waste at a prohibited site in Melaka.
The accused, Shah Sardar, 32, admitted to the offence before Judge Raja Noor Adilla Raja Mahyaldin. He was charged with illegally disposing of household solid waste on land in Batu Berendam, Melaka Tengah, at around 10am on 27 February 2024.
The offence falls under Section 71(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, which carries penalties under Section 71(8) of the same Act.
Based on the case facts, authorities from the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) launched an investigation after receiving a public video complaint on 1 March 2024 showing illegal dumping activity at the site.
Inspections later found piles of waste, including old mattresses and beds. Enforcement officers subsequently carried out an operation and seized a Nissan Vanette lorry for investigation purposes.
Further investigations revealed that the accused, who worked for a furniture business, had transported and dumped the waste from a shop premises in Taman Ozana Residence. The location was confirmed to be non-designated for waste disposal and classified as restricted land under federal jurisdiction.
The defence sought a lighter sentence, citing the accused’s unemployment, family responsibilities in Pakistan, and cooperation with authorities. However, the prosecution argued that as a long-term resident, he should have been aware of Malaysia’s waste disposal laws, and called for a deterrent sentence due to the public cost of illegal dumping enforcement.
The court imposed a RM10,000 fine, with six months’ jail in default of payment.
