RM200m to clean up Sungai Segget
(Bernama) — The federal government has agreed in principle on the transformation plan for Johor Baharu city proposed by the Johor state government, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Prime Minister said that initially the federal government had agreed to allocate RM200 million to clean and eliminate the pollution problem in Sungai Segget.
“In principle, the federal government supports the proposal of the Johor state government to transform the Johor Baharu city into a modern and dynamic urban centre,” he said after a ‘walkabout’ at JB Bazaar, here.
He said the pollution problem in Sungai Segget, which flows through the Johor Baharu city centre, was caused by uncontrolled discharge into the river.
The Prime Minister, who arrived in Johor Saturday morning for a one-day visit, said cleaning works on Sungai Segget were expected to take between one-and-a-half to two years.
“Once the cleaning works on Sungai Segget have been completed, I can visualize gondolas travelling up and down the river, just like in Venice, Italy.
Johor Baharu will become the Venice of Malaysia,” he said.
Under the Johor Baharu transformation plan, he said, there were also other suggestions including the construction of an iconic arch on the Johor Causeway, which is the main entry point into Malaysia from the southern part of the peninsula.
In addition, he said, there was also a proposal to create an opening underneath the Johor Causeway to enable water to flow through and improve the water quality in the Tebrau Straits.
Earlier during the walkabout, Najib had the opportunity to spend about 15 minutes visiting the Chinese Heritage Museum at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, which keeps various artifacts and documents on the Chinese community.
Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, were greeted on arrival by thousands of the Chinese community who had waited for the couple since the afternoon.
The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and wife, Datin Professor Dr Jamilah Ariffin, as well as the state executive councillors, then walked along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Segget, while looking at the various goods sold at the JB Bazaar.
The JB Bazaar, which began operation on Jan 10 this year, was opened by the Johor Baharu Municipal Council to enliven the city. It is the venue for various business activities, like a night market, “pasar karat”, “bazar lambak” and “luton van”.
Aimed at attracting tourists, among the goods sold at the bazaar are clothings, gifts, leather goods and used items.
About 370 traders operate their business at the bazaar, which opens daily from 6pm to 2am.
The Prime Minister and his wife then left for Singapore to begin a two-day visit to the republic.
Environmental Development in Malaysia 
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