KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A joint conference between the federal and Johor state governments needs to be conducted to address environmental issues and to pave the way for a blueprint to ensure environmental quality in the state.
In proposing this, Iskandar Puteri Member of Parliament Lim Kit Siang, who is also DAP Adviser, said just within five months this year, the southern part of the state had been hit by three environmental disasters, affecting thousands of people.
“These three environmental disasters in Johor must be taken seriously by both the federal and Johor state governments.
“The time has clearly come for environment in Johor to be given top priority, and for this reason, I have suggested to Chen Choon (Tan Chen Choon, the Johor state executive councillor for local government, urban wellbeing and environment) to propose organising a joint a federal-state government conference on environment,” he said in a statement here today.
Lim noted that the disasters were the Sungai Kim Kim toxic pollution in March affecting 6,000 people and hospitalising another 2,775, with 110 schools along the river subsequently closed; the air pollution in Pasir Gudang in June which sent many people living near factories, including school children to hospitals for treatment after inhaling toxic fumes; and most currently, the week-long bush fire in Kampong Pekajang, Iskandar Puteri which has led to the closure of two nearby schools.
— BERNAMAPNW PR NHA