A worker clearing rubbish under a bridge on Sungai Skudai. — File photos
ENVIRONMENTAL groups in Johor are calling on the state government to be more proactive in engaging with them on environmental matters.
Malaysian Nature Society president Vincent Chow lamented that environmental groups had been sidelined by Johor government when it came to such issues.
Chow says conservation is everyone’s duty.
“This year, we are looking forward to better cooperation with the state government,” he said when contacted by StarMetro.
Chow hopes to see more engagements, collaborations and dialogues with the state, as well as more funding.
He urged the state to give equal attention to environment-related matters in Johor’s quest to become a developed state by 2025.
“Conservation is everyone’s duty, and Johor folk should be roped in through outreach activities and programmes,” said Chow.
He said it was important for state departments and agencies to work closely with environmental groups and communities to ensure the success of outreach programmes.
More than 207 tonnes of rubbish have been collected in Sungai Skudai alone as of September 2023.
“Protecting the environment and conservation is not a publicity stunt or lip service, it should be result-oriented,” said Chow.
Referring to the River Rangers programme, he said the failure of its implementation was because of a lack of coordination between the Environment Department, village heads and Orang Asli community.
“They are supposed to monitor the river’s situation, including illegal dumping and pollution, but it seems they failed to reach out to them,” Chow noted.
Safe Johor River founder Poh Pai Yik said Sungai Tebrau and Sungai Skudai were among the two most polluted rivers in Johor.
Poh says cleaning up rivers is not a simple feat.
Despite the state government embarking on several clean-up projects for both rivers, he said, the situation remained the same until now.
“Cleaning up both rivers is not a simple feat and requires a huge amount of money.
“Johor cannot do it alone and needs financial allocation from Federal Government,” said Poh.
He predicted that it might take at least a decade before Sungai Skudai and Sungai Tebrau transformed into clean rivers.
“Johor always looks at Singapore when it comes to learning something positive.
“We should look at how the republic cleaned up Kallang River and Singapore River.”
According to reports, the Kallang and Singapore rivers were cleaned up between 1977 and 1987 – with the waterways dredged and rubbish removed.
Polluting industries were phased out and sources of pollution were removed or relocated, new sewage infrastructure was provided and facilities were built for resettled residents and businesses.
Measures were also put in place to reduce future pollution while squatters, hawkers and vegetable sellers were relocated to public housing and hawker centres.
The clean-up cost Singapore government SG$300mil (RM983mil).
