EIA report not needed for reclamation work at Johor straits

JOHOR BARU: Reclamation works for the Forest City project, which Singapore fears will have a possible impact on the island republic, does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as the area reclaimed is not more than 50 acres (20.2ha).

According to the Johor Department of Environment (DOE) director Mokhtar Abdul Majid, currently reclamation works at the Johor Straits, near the Gelang Patah Second Link, only involved an area measuring 49 acres.

“As the area reclaimed is not more than 50 acres, it does not require an EIA report,” he told Bernama yesterday when asked on the reclamation works that have drawn concern from the Singapore government.

He confirmed that the reclamation works at the Johor Straits were being implemented by a developer from China, Country Garden Holdings Ltd and a subsidiary of the Johor state government, Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

Mokhtar said the reclamation works began in early March and are expected to be completed within eight months.

Two days ago, the Singapore Foreign Ministry had expressed concern on the possibility of cross border effects on the republic as a result of the real estate development project at the Johor Straits.

Its spokesman said there was an international responsibility on the part of the Malaysian authorities and Singapore to cooperate on this matter and asked Malaysia to submit information on the reclamation works concerned.

Mokhtar said the Johor DOE had already submitted certain information on the Forest City reclamation project to the DOE headquarters for further action. — Bernama


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 24, 2014.