KUANTAN: The Pahang Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) has recorded statements from five people to facilitate investigations into the dumping of rice and other food items at a garbage disposal area in Temerloh last month.
Among the five were a former member of parliament who had admitted to having disposed of the food items, saying they were unfit for consumption.
Pahang SWCorp director Sharudin Hamid said the investigation papers will be referred to SWCorp's legal department for review and any further directives this week.
"We have recorded the statements from four or five witnesses including a former member of parliament to help complete the probe. Our (SWCorp) legal department will study the investigation papers before submitting them to the deputy public prosecutor's office for the next course of action.
"All the witnesses have provided their full cooperation throughout our investigations and everything has been progressing smoothly," he said when contacted.
Sharudin said those involved in illegally dumping controlled solid waste can be charged under Section 71(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007.
On April 18, images and videos of the alleged disposed food items discarded at an unlicensed garbage disposal site along a shortcut route at Rumpun Makmur bypass towards Gunung Senyum in Kuala Krau,Temerloh went viral.
The following day, former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker and deputy home minister Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed admitted to disposing of the food items saying he took full responsibility for the issue.
He had claimed the foodstuff, which he had purchased several years ago with his own money, had expired and become unfit for human consumption.
His actions had upset padi farmers and Consumers Association of Penang urged stern action to be taken against Ismail for allegedly throwing and burning the edible food items.