JOHOR BARU: More than 43 tonnes of oil-contaminated waste have been collected from the Johor coastline as a result of the recent oil spill in Singapore.
Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the clean-up at Sungai Rengit and Teluk Ramunia in Kota Tinggi was nearly completed by the insurer of the vessel in the ship collision that caused the oil spill.
“There is only a bit of oil sludge left at the mangrove and rocky areas.
“However, a nearby island, Pulau Che Kamat, was also found with traces of oil sludge believed to be a result of the oil spill.
“The clean-up works at the new location will begin there on Monday (July 1),” he told reporters when asked to comment on the matter at a community diabetes screening programme here on Sunday (June 30).
The oil spill occurred on June 14 when the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Mazima reportedly hit the stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at the Pasir Panjang Terminal in the island republic.
The Johor Environment Department received information from its Singapore counterpart on June 18 about the spillage of an estimated 400 tonnes of oil.
Ling added that the state government was not planning to take legal action against the Netherland-flagged vessel as its insurer is taking care of the clean-up and compensation costs.
Meanwhile, in his speech at the event earlier, Ling said that 84% of Malaysians were unaware that they were suffering from diabetes and reminded them to go for regular health screenings.
“Personal health is not just dependent on hospitals or doctors - it is a personal choice for us to practice a healthy lifestyle and consume healthy food.
“At the same time, the state government appreciates the efforts of private healthcare providers that carry out health awareness programmes to educate the public,” he said.
As diabetes continues to pose a significant health challenge, the event was a timely effort, said Ling.
He also congratulated Regency Specialist Hospital for organising the three-day free diabetes programme, which also saw the hospital making it into the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest participation in an HBA1C diabetes screening campaign.
A total of 3,148 were successfully screened for diabetes at the event.
