Start RM1.6bil anti-flood project soon, urges state

Johor government is hoping that a RM1.6bil flood mitigation project will start soon, ahead of the monsoon season.

Johor tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said the project, which was currently in the tender process, would take about three years to complete.

“We hope the Federal Government can prioritise and speed up this project so that Johor can better prepare for the rainy season.

“The project will cover three locations.

“They are Sungai Muar in Segamat, Batu Pahat town and Sungai Johor riverbanks in Kota Tinggi,” he said in response to questions on the RM1.6bil allocation approved by Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad during a meeting with Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi in Putrajaya.

Raven was speaking after witnessing the signing ceremony of an environmental, social and governance (ESG) pledge at Persada Johor International Convention Centre in Johor Baru.

“We have been selected to host the Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW) 2023 which will take place this November.

“We want to involve more of the private sector as well as government agencies and the public in the ESG initiative because we will not be able to achieve our goals on our own.

“Climate change is affecting our lives and we need to act now to address this matter so that we can leave a better world for our children,” he added.

He said environmental awareness played an important role in achieving sustainability and environmental protection.

“Even with our ‘Johor Bersih’ initiative, we still collect between 30 and 50 tonnes of waste every month from rivers in the Johor Baru area, and despite our continuous efforts, there are no signs of this amount decreasing,” Raven said.

“We have fished out fridges, beds and plastic water bottles from our rivers.”

He added that the state government would not take punitive action against litterbugs but instead, would continue to spread awareness on cleanliness.

On the RM3.5mil allocation from the Federal Government to improve tourism infrastructure in the state, Raven said upgrading work was ongoing and expected to be completed this year.

“The allocation will be used to upgrade some popular tourist attractions.

“They include Gunung Ledang, Taman Eko Gunung Arong, Bukit Selantai and Pantai Air Papan in Mersing,” he added.