The foul stench which caused a number of students at the SK Taman Pasir Putih near Pasir Gudang to experience vomiting, shortness of breath and dizziness yesterday, is believed to have originated from a nearby sewage treatment plant.

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said, however, air parameter readings recorded by the Department of Environment and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department showed that the air quality in the school area was normal.

He said the reading for “Volatile Organic Compounds” (VOC) was also zero.

“The Pasir Gudang Municipal Council has been instructed to take immediate maintenance action (on the Sewage Treatment Plant) as soon as possible.

"In addition, air quality monitoring measures will also be carried out by relevant agencies from time to time," he said in a statement yesterday.

Tan said the state government viewed seriously the latest incident which affected 33 students at SK Taman Pasir Putih yesterday morning.

"However, no victims have been hospitalised so far and they have been allowed to return home after receiving treatment from the health clinic," he added.

- Bernama