TMJ slams river polluters, cites burden on public funds

New Straits Times

16-05-2025

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Regent of Johor, His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has expressed disappointment over the irresponsible actions of individuals who recently dumped rubbish into rivers in the state.
Tunku Ismail said that such behaviour burdens the state government, which has to spend public funds on cleaning efforts.
Stricter laws should be enforced against individuals or parties who continue to indiscriminately dispose of rubbish in rivers or any other location within the state, he said.
"I am disheartened to hear and witness that there are still irresponsible parties disposing of waste into rivers recently.
"Public funds used for river cleaning should instead be utilised for development purposes.
"Such incidents should not occur, and I urge the Johor government and relevant authorities to hold discussions and implement harsh penalties against those who continue to carelessly dispose of rubbish into rivers or elsewhere," he said.
Tunku Ismail made the remarks during the opening of the Fourth Session of the 15th Johor State Legislative Assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ismail today.
Also present was the Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Earlier, it was reported that a man was caught red-handed on a motorist's dashcam discarding rubbish into a river in Taman Sri Plentong, Masai, on May 5 at about 6.30pm.
The motorist confronted the man and also lodged a police report.
A company responsible for throwing away rubbish into and by the river in Taman Sri Plentong, Masai, was fined RM1,000 last week, but the penalty was criticised by social media users who felt it was too lenient given the severity of the offence.
Meanwhile, Tunku Ismail urged tourism operators in the state to maintain cleanliness and avoid greed-driven actions that could harm the tourism ecosystem.
He also advised tourism operators to work with the state government to contribute ideas and effort in advancing Johor's tourism sector.
"Please always maintain cleanliness and avoid greed, which can damage the ecosystem of tourist sites.
"Every plan should be systematic and take all aspects into account to ensure the preservation and value of natural beauty," he said.
Tunku Ismail said that Johor is fortunate to possess beautiful natural landscapes and historic heritage buildings capable of attracting tourists from around the world.
Therefore, he urged the Johor government to upgrade existing tourism infrastructure.
"This matter requires the full attention of the state government to allocate resources for upgrading infrastructure and promoting tourism," he said.