THE air around Sungai Kim Kim in Johor may have been declared safe to breathe by the authorities, but parents here are still nursing their stricken children back to health.

Some parents told The Malaysian Insight their children have yet to recover from breathing in the fumes of chemical poisons in the river, which were only detected when schoolchildren started falling ill.

Parents are hoping the state and federal governments will provide assistance in the form of compensation and inform them of any long term effects the chemical waste dumping may have on the area, as well as the safety measures they will introduce in their neighbourhood, which is close to an industrial park in Pasir Gudang.

Taman Pasir Putih action committee vice-president Rafea Abdullah said they were told the air quality in the area had improved and that many families had returned to their homes. 

“About 90% of the residents have returned. But parents are still worried about their children when they go back to school tomorrow.

“We are still in doubt and want the authorities to explain if there will there will be any long-term issues here. 

“We will send our children to school, but we will take precautionary measures and ensure they wear face masks and that there are no outdoor activities,” the 46-year-old Rafea told The Malaysian Insight. 

A total of 111 schools in Pasir Gudang were ordered closed since the crisis which was discovered on March 7 when school children fell ill. Schools were also closed in the last week for the mid-term school holiday and are due to open tomorrow.

The dumping of chemical waste has affected the health of more than 1,000 people, mostly pupils of schools situated along Sg Kim Kim.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recently said the government has yet to decide on the amount of compensation for those affected by the pollution.

But laundry shop owner Idham Wazir A. Wahab, 49, wants a faster response from the government.

He said his 12-year-old son had developed nerve problems since inhaling toxic air and continued to require medical attention.

“My son can’t walk properly, nor climb stairs and also has muscle cramps. The neurologist said he has to be monitored for the next three years. 

“What’s going to happen to his future?” Idham said, who has five children.

Idham said his son’s primary school was helping to defray some medical costs and is worried about paying medical bills should his son still require treatment when he goes to secondary school next year.

“He will be moving to a new school next year. Then who is going to pay for his medical treatment?

“We are also grateful to his current school for agreeing to shift his class from the third floor to the first floor because of his condition,” he said. 

Idham said some parents were talking about taking legal action.

Another parent Jamaluddin Abdul Malik, 41, also said his children are still under observation by the Health Department and wonders when they will finally be given a clean bill of health.

“The trauma is still there despite the cleanup and the Department of Environment’s assurance that the air quality is safe.

“Next week we have to take the children for check up again,” said the businessman with six children.

Jamaluddin hopes the authorities can give the residents a proper explanation on long-term plans for the families with children affected. 

“The clean up is over but are our children safe? We need some form of assurance that they will be safe and there is no repeat of the incident,” he said.

Three men have been charged with dumping chemical waste into the river. They face a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine not exceeding RM500,000 under the Environmental Quality Act, if convicted.

The three are company directors Yap Yoke Liang, 42, who is Singaporean, and Wang Jing Choa, 34, and lorry driver N Maridass, 35. – March 30, 2019.