SINGAPORE — A moving company supervisor has been handed a S$8,000 fine for illegally disposing of office furniture from a lorry along Kheam Hock Road in Bukit Timah.

Siow Wei Wen was engaged to transport unwanted furniture from a vacated office on Beach Road to a recycling facility along Sungei Kadut Drive on Jan 30 last year.

Out of convenience, however, he discarded the waste at a secluded spot along Kheam Hock Road instead.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a media release on Thursday (Jan 25): “The illegal disposal of waste is a serious offence as it pollutes the environment and can pose a hazard to public health.”

Siow pleaded guilty to an offence under the Environmental Public Health Act on Wednesday, NEA said.

The agency added that it would not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against any person who disposes of waste illegally.

If found guilty of this offence:

• A first-time offender is liable to a fine of up to S$50,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both
• Repeat offenders are liable to a maximum fine of S$100,000 and a jail term of one to 12 months

As of July 1 last year, it is also an offence to cause or allow the dumping or disposal of waste in a public place. 

“This means NEA can take enforcement action against supervisors who instruct workers to dispose of the waste improperly,” the agency said.

Members of the public may report suspected illegal disposal to NEA, along with the following information when reporting the incident:

• Date, time and location of the incident
• Registration number of the vehicle used to carry out the illegal disposal
• Supporting photos and video clips

They  may do so via an online feedback form or the myENV mobile application. 

They may also contact NEA at 6225 5632 if they witness any illegal disposal activity.