Johor New Executive Council Has a Lot on Its Plate

Johor's new state executive council has two main issues to tackle - river pollution and congestion at the Causeway which links the southern state to Singapore. Experts say immediate attention will be given to the environmental problem plaguing rivers in Johor and the congestion at the Causeway.

Associate Professor Ahmad Marthada Mohamed said the Johor sultan has already expressed his views on these areas. He said the sultan is serious about the environment in Johor and the state's relationship with Singapore. Last month, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar canceled two of his birthday events in light of the Pasir Gudang waste pollution incident at Sungai Kim Kim. The incident had hundreds falling ill and the Education Ministry shutting more than 100 schools in the area. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has also expressed concerns about pollution in the Johor River. The river had become polluted after a reservoir at a bio-composite centre next to an oil palm refinery in Sedenak burst, causing the contaminated water to flow through the water body. As a result, about 17,000 homes in the Malaysian town of Kulai had their water supply disrupted. Professor Marthada emphasized that Dr Sahruddin, the new chief minister, is well-placed to understand the gravity of the river pollution because he was in-charge of the state's Health, Environment and Agriculture committee. "I'm sure being a former health exco member, he will appreciate that these issues need to be addressed immediately and he will take into consideration the needs of all parties - Malaysia and Singapore." However, the professor also noted that Dr Sahruddin and Mr Mohd Solihan are both young and inexperienced.