JOHOR BARU, Sept 9 — Authorities are investigating a river believed to be the source of a chemical odour following public complaints received late last night.

Johor Health and Environment Committee Chairman Ling Tian Soon said that the complaints identified the odour as coming from Sungai Skudai.

He added that both the Fire and Rescue Department and the Department of Environment (DoE) have been alerted based on these complaints.

“The Fire and Rescue Department personnel have been dispatched to various locations along Sungai Skudai to monitor the situation, while DoE staff are on-site to investigate the cause of the odour,” Ling said in a brief WhatsApp reply this morning.

Ling’s comments came in response to media queries regarding reports of an unpleasant chemical odour in parts of the Skudai area, adjacent to Sungai Skudai, late last night.

Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim reported that residents from Impian Emas in Skudai to the Melana flat area in Perling had complained about a strong chemical smell.

In her latest Facebook post today, she confirmed that the DoE has been notified of the issue.

Marina also appealed to nearby residents to inform her of any affected areas so that she can relay this information to the DoE.

“With details on the locations affected by the odour, the authorities can better estimate the extent of the pollution and identify its cause,” she wrote.

Skudai is primarily a residential area covering a large part of northern Johor Baru. The main Sungai Skudai tributary stretches 43km, excluding sub-catchment areas.

This latest noxious odour complaint in Sungai Skudai marks the fourth case reported since last week.

Similar complaints were received in several areas last week, including Sungai Pandai and Sungai Plentong, which impacted various residential neighbourhoods.

Initial investigations suggested the odour was due to an unidentified chemical substance.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/09/fourth-chemical-odour-incident-in-johor-since-last-week-authorities-probe-sungai-skudai-after-public-complaints/149780