'Reclamation works do not need EIA report'

JOHOR BARU: Reclamation works under the “Forest City” project, that is feared by Singapore to have a possible impact on the island republic, do not require the Envi­ronmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as the area reclaimed is not more than 20.2ha.

According to the Johor director of the Department of Environment (DOE) Mokhtar Abdul Majid, currently reclamation works at the Johor Straits, near the Gelang Patah Second Link, only involved an area measuring 19.8 ha.

“As the area reclaimed is not more than 20.2ha, it does not require the EIA report,” he said when asked on the sea reclamation works that drew concern from the Singapore government.

He confirmed that the sea 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 (KPRJ).

Mokhtar said the reclamation works began in early March and were 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 sea reclamation project to the DOE headquarters for further action. — Bernama