Residents in Pontian, Malaysia, say groups of trucks are unloading construction waste near their homes after midnight and costing them sleep.
Some suspect the debris is crossing the border from Singapore rather than being properly disposed of, leaving their community to deal with the fallout.
Here's what to know
After local outlet Kosmo published a report on Aug. 8, Johor authorities moved to shut more than five illegal dumping sites in Pontian and started investigations into three of them, The Straits Times reported. Zainal Fitri Ahmad, SWCorp's Johor director, told the outlet that preliminary checks suggest some of the debris originated in Singapore.
Rafi Mohamad Noor, a 27-year-old hostel warden in Kampung Sungai Senai Belokok, told The Straits Times: "It's been going on since early 2025. We can't sleep at night because these trucks come in convoys of six to eight trucks at a time after midnight."
Residents first thought the nighttime activity was tied to construction for a housing project, but they later said they saw used construction equipment and debris accumulating near the village instead. On the busiest days, Rafi said, the number of trucks reached about 50.
In a Facebook post dated Aug. 12, Johor state housing and local government committee chairman Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said that anyone who illegally manages controlled solid waste can face a fine of up to 100,000 Malaysian ringgit (around $25,000), a jail term of up to five years, or both.
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More background
Residents and activists interviewed by the newspaper said indiscriminate dumping has been a problem in Johor for years and is not limited to the sites under investigation.
One dump site is about 108 feet (33 meters) from homes on the other side of the road, and The Straits Times reported that two more plots sit behind the village. Broken tiles, cement fragments, rubber tubing, metal rods, and discarded construction equipment were visible at the site, and smoke rose from beneath the ground.
Amiratul Azwa Kamil, a 35-year-old mother, said the dumping has changed daily life: "The trucks would come in and dump the waste and then an excavator would level the waste and flatten it on the land."
She said dust blows into houses, settles on laundry and causes itching and coughing, especially for children.
Some rural landowners may view the debris as inexpensive fill material, but the practice also poses fire risks and potential health hazards.
What's being done?
In an Aug. 12 report cited by The Straits Times, SWCorp, the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation, said it had carried out raids and surveillance, and interviewed a tipper truck driver who was allegedly caught dumping mixed debris on Jalan Kampung Sinar Harapan.
Ahmad said enforcement is harder in rural areas, and environmental advocates said the border creates another jurisdictional hurdle. Sahabat Muda Johor founder Irwan Alif told The Straits Times that monitoring cross-border activity is difficult because the agency has no authority at Customs.
Authorities are also cautioning landowners against allowing their property to be used this way.
Jafni said: "We also do not want any land, including private land, to be used for uncontrolled waste disposal or land-filling. Landowners have a responsibility to ensure that every activity carried out on their land complies with the law."
Zainal said it is illegal and dangerous to use construction waste for land reclamation or leveling, even on a small scale, and warned residents against doing so.
"All it takes is for someone to throw a burning cigarette butt and cause a fire," he warned.
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