Fresh look: An aerial view of downtown Johor Baru from Menara Ansar in Jalan Trus after the completion of some beautification projects. — ZAZALI MUSA/The Star
Mayor: A lot more needs to be done to improve city’s image
MAINTAINING the cleanliness of Johor Baru City is the top priority for Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) as it is the main entry point for visitors, especially those coming from Singapore.
As the southernmost state capital in the peninsula, Johor Baru, which was granted city status in 1994, not only represents the state of Johor but also Malaysia.
Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman shares with StarMetro the measures taken by the local council to keep the city clean in order to attract more tourists and spur the economy.
Q: Are you satisfied with the current level of cleanliness in downtown Johor Baru?
A: I honestly feel that a lot has improved in terms of the cleanliness of Johor Baru.
I believe that most residents have the right mindset towards ensuring cleanliness in the city.
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This is because many residents have a sense of responsibility towards the city and come to realise the importance of cleanliness.
However, there is still a lot that can be improved and it is quite an uphill task to get all stakeholders on board to make this place a truly smart, healthy, clean and sustainable city.
We have the Johor Bersih programme that we carry out every month (even during Ramadan), where the amount of waste collected through litter picking and plogging remains high.
On the average, more than 50kg of waste is collected each session.
Statistics show waste collection through simple programmes such as litter picking and plogging are effective, especially with the assistance of relevant agencies such as SWCorp.
The Johor Bersih programme is fully enforced in the city centre, so compounds are issued to those caught littering cigarette butts, food wrappers and plastic containers.
Pigeons feeding on seeds given by a passerby in downtown Johor Baru and their presence is becoming a nuisance to visitors and business owners. — Photos by THOMAS YONG/The Star
Q: What about cleanliness in public areas such as Sungai Segget and recreational parks like Hutan Bandar, Tasek Merdeka, hawker centres, morning and night markets, and public transport stations?
A: We have certainly improved cleanliness and safety in public areas in Johor Baru.
Many public parks, markets, gardens and public transport stations are cleaner these days as these places now have dedicated “caretakers”.
For example, the area around Sungai Segget is under the supervision of Iskandar Regional Development Authority.
Sungai Segget has improved in many ways in terms of cleanliness and its landscape. It is a popular place with visitors and tourists.
There are other areas which can be improved, especially in regards to cleanliness and beautification, and this will be pursued once the area’s maintenance is transferred to MBJB.
We have appointed experienced and reliable contractors to ensure that our recreational parks remain clean, vibrant and beautiful for visitors, as well as ensure these places are free from diseases such as dengue.
As for morning and night markets, we work closely with market management committees to ensure they appoint reliable contractors to maintain cleanliness and collect waste during and after business hours.
MBJB officers will supervise to ensure the contractors carry out cleaning works at the markets based on the agreed time schedule.
Cleaning and maintenance works are also carried out at taxi and bus stations owned by MBJB.
We have appointed contractors to ensure these places are cleaned regularly.
“We have certainly improved cleanliness and safety in public areas around JB.” - Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman
Q: What actions are you taking to remove bunting, banners and posters promoting sales or services where the promotional period has ended?
A: Our team regularly removes illegal ads and worn-out or expired ads throughout the city.
We took down 1,338 ah long advertisements in 2022 and 272 from January to February this year.
For bunting advertisements, 611 were taken down last year and from January to February 2023, the number was 172.
For 2022, 1,466 banners were removed. For the first two months this year, we have taken down 275 banners.
A total of 102 signboards were removed from our streets last year and another 12 from January to February this year.
The enforcement action is taken in accordance with the Advertisement Licensing Bylaw (MBJB) 2010.
Some people still choose to litter despite MBJB taking steps to keep the city clean.
Q: How much does MBJB spend yearly on cleanliness and what is the amount spent in the first quarter of 2023?
A: The annual spending for cleanliness varies depending on the needs during that particular period.
We have fixed payments for SWCorp and SWM Environment (Seelong sanitary and waste site) every month to manage solid waste within our jurisdiction.
After the introduction of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), all works regarding solid waste were transferred to SWCorp, which has the executive authority on this matter.
Even during the movement control order (MCO) period, we still had to cover the cost as per the agreement signed.
The cost paid by MBJB to SWCorp managing solid waste and public sanitation in 2020 was RM54,173,921, RM55,772,039 in 2021, RM56,844,429 in 2022 and RM14,336,692 (up to March this year).
The cost incurred by us to SWM Environment for Seelong waste disposal site was RM19,882,274 in 2020, RM21,905,019 in 2021, RM22,659,740 in 2022 and RM5,894,584 up to March 2023.
The increase in cost every year is because there are more (new) areas within MBJB being transferred to the jurisdiction of SWCorp.
Q: How much have you spent on landscaping for Johor Baru city including the entrance to the Causeway, which is the main entry point connecting Malaysia and Singapore?
A: Johor Baru is the “Southern Gateway” to Peninsular Malaysia and we have the busiest international crossing of people in the world at our border with Singapore.
In a way, we provide the first impression of the country and it is a challenge to meet the expectations of international visitors, not only of Johor but of the whole country.
We have allocated RM3.3mil for upgrading and beautifying the landscape at the entrance of the country and around the Johor Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
This includes infrastructure development as well as landscaping works.
The project is crucial in reflecting the image and level of cleanliness of Johor Baru and the country.
Q: Is vandalism a major issue in Johor Baru city? We can see graffiti done by irresponsible parties despite the beautification efforts by MBJB, especially in the older parts of the city.
A: There has been an increase in vandalism acts recently and some were caught on closed-circuit television cameras installed throughout the city.
We have spent around RM42,000 to repair vandalised walls and buildings.
