DAP: Land reclamation threatening Tanjung Pelepas port
(The Rakyat Post) – A land reclamation project, outside the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), is threatening the existence of the port, according to DAP Johor state chairman and Kluang Member of Parliament Liew Chin Tong.
Liew, who visited the site on June 28, called on newly-appointed Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to take a stand on behalf of the ministry and the government.
“I visited the illegal reclamation work of Pulau Ubah, also known as Forest City, near the Second Link crossing in the Straits of Johor.
“Together in our group during the visit were DAP parliamentary leader and Gelang Patah Member of Parliament Lim Kit Siang, DAP Johor State Assembly Opposition leader Dr Boo Cheng Hau, DAP Johor Environmental Affairs spokesperson Cheo Yee How as well as representatives from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Tan Yen Ming and Vincent Seah,” wrote Liew in a statement.
He claimed this was Lim’s second visit since Feb 15 and the senior politician was shocked to see the size of the reclaimed island had increased 25-fold since then.
“PTP is located west of Forest City. PTP is now undergoing building expansion towards the east.
“According to official land search documents obtained from Johor Baru Land Office, the government created a 2,000ha land title on yet-to-be reclaimed coastal waters in the Johor Straits close to the Second Link.
“Such large reclamation work in a narrow strait will inevitably increase sediments and pose a risk to the operation of PTP when the sea becomes shallower,” claimed Liew, questioning whether Forest City was putting the future of PTP at risk.
Although he said DAP was less concerned about the profitability of PTP, which they said was another business owned by Umno-linked Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary, they saw from their visit that PTP was under threat.
“We are acutely aware of the importance of a functioning port to local businesses, large and small, in Johor and beyond.
“We do not want to see thousands of businesses suffering shipment delays and losses only because ships’ movements to and from PTP are impeded by shallow waters as a consequent of coastal reclamation.
“Sources from the Ministry of Transport revealed to us that the ministry was unhappy about the way reclamation is going on and has written officially to the Johor state government to express its concern,” claimed Liew.
As such, he called on Liow to take proactive steps to ensure port operations worked for businesses.
“If there is indeed a risk posed by land reclamation to the future of PTP, then it should take decisive action to protect national interests.”
Liow, when contacted, said he was busy at the moment, but would look into the matter when he could.
Meanwhile, the reported developer of Forest City did not immediately reply to The Rakyat Post’s enquiries.
