KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya will look into the demands by fishermen in Johor affected by the recent oil spill through existing legal frameworks, says Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said the government will evaluate the matter.
“We will study the demands made by them based on legal provisions and look into ways we can deal with this,” he told reporters after launching Karnival Alam Kita in Titiwangsa Lake here yesterday.
Nik Nazmi said this when asked to comment on the recent oil spill incident involving two vessels in Pasir Panjang Terminal, Singapore, that had affected several beaches in the southern part of Johor. He said the first phase of clean-up work involving oil waste collection at the beaches near Sungai Rengit is 95% completed.
He added that the second phase involving cleaning up rocky and gravel areas is 20% completed.
“Based on our monitoring, we found that the Sungai Rengit beach, fisherman village and jetty are clean. However, we will continue to monitor,” he said.
Nik Nazmi added that the clean-up work is expected to be completed within a week if the weather conditions are good. He said the authorities were also informed about oil pollution near Cik Kamat Island and the contractor has been told to clean up the area.
On the ground: Nik Nazmi (second from left) visiting the exhibition hall after officiating Karnival Alam Kita 2024 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. — Bernama
“We will do our evaluation first. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has deployed its assets to monitor Pengerang waters stretching up to the Abu Bakar Maritime Base. So far, no oil spill detected there,” he added.
Singaporean media on Thursday reported that the republic will seek compensation for the costs incurred in an oil spill last week from the owners of the stationary vessel that discharged the oil.
Meanwhile, when asked about the discovery of 40 bags suspected of containing scheduled waste in an open area near Kulim, Kedah, on Saturday, Nik Nazmi said the Environment Department was still investigating the matter.
“We have proposed to the state government through its exco that the gated and guarded concept be used for development of new industrial sites in the state. This is to assist the authorities in terms of surveillance and monitoring,” he added.
When launching Karnival Alam Kita, Nik Nazmi said EkoSetiawangsa is his ministry’s initiative to transform Setiawangsa into an ‘urban eco-district’ where its people practise a sustainable lifestyle.
“By practising a sustainable lifestyle, we hope that Setiawangsa will become an area that is carbon-neutral, green and inclusive where the benefits can be enjoyed by each citizen,” said Nik Nazmi, who is also Setiawangsa MP.
He also witnessed the handing over ceremony of letters of intent to EkoSetiawangsa’s strategic partners that include environmental groups such as GreenSteps Malaysia and KLEAN.
