‘Improve Iskandar Puteri facilities’

Lim proposes building an elevated road from Taman Pulai Hijauan and Taman Sri Skudai.

ISKANDAR Puteri City Council (MBIP) needs to further improve public infrastructure and facilities.

Skudai Baru Zone 18 councillor Lim Soon Hai said apart from reliable and efficient services, taxpayers also deserved to have better public facilities and infrastructure.

“Iskandar Malaysia is progressing well since its inception 15 years ago and MBIP is benefitting from developments in the country’s first economic growth corridor,” Lim said in an interview.

He said there were several issues in Zone 18 Skudai Baru encompassing Taman Skudai, Taman Melawati, Taman Sri Okid and Taman Mutiara Utama with about 20,000 residents, that need to be addressed.

Lim said the bad condition of roads under the purview of MBIP and Johor Public Works Department was the main concern of motorists.

“There are many potholes, faded road markings and faulty traffic lights that pose a danger to road users,” he said, adding that the faulty traffic lights caused by old cables needed to be replaced.

Another major concern, Lim said, was faulty street lights along Jalan Gelang Patah opposite the farmer’s market, Jalan Tun Teja, Jalan Laksamana, Jalan Tun Aminah and Jalan Hang Lekir.

He said apart from endangering motorists, thieves might take advantage of the situation.

“I have reported the faulty street lights to the Engineering Department and the damaged cables will be replaced,” said Lim.

He also hoped the state government would consider building an elevated road from Taman Pulai Hijauan and Taman Sri Skudai to ease traffic congestion along the Jalan Skudai-Pontian stretch.

Lim said the 10km stretch had high traffic volume as it catered to about 20 housing estates within the area and motorists from Pontian going to Johor Baru.

“The stretch also has uneven surfaces causing many road accidents,” he said.

Medini councillor Joseph Fu hoped the opening of the border between Malaysia and Singapore would take place by the end of the year or early next year.

“As a border town, the local economy is badly affected as Johor and Singapore are economically interdependent,’’ he said.

Fu said the opening of international borders with other countries could attract foreign investments in southern parts of Johor, especially Iskandar Malaysia.

“Iskandar Malaysia has the right ecosystem to attract domestic and foreign investors, and its close proximity to Singapore is an added advantage to Johor,” he said.

The influx of investors would create demand for houses in Iskandar Malaysia, including Medini which was located just a few kilometres away from the Second Link crossing in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, added Fu.

Separately he said, MBIP was looking at extending assistance beyond distributing food baskets to those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will help them look for jobs and companies that have openings,” said Fu.