Johor wants Country Garden Pacific View (CGPV) Sdn Bhd, the developer of Forest City, to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before developing the project at Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah.

Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin said it was important to ensure issues such as environment were given full attention and regulations were adhered to.

“We hope the developer complies with the requirement to submit an EIA report, which is very important for us to ensure all concerns, including from the environmental aspects, is given attention,” he said.

He said this at a media conference after launching the earth-breaking ceremony of the Seri Albion Industrial Estate, which is developed by United Malayan Land Bhd (UMLand), in Cahaya Baru, Jalan Kong Kong in Pasir Gudang today.

Last Sept 2, a public dialogue on the project’s Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) turned chaotic when the developer was confronted with all kind of enquiries from the residents in Kampung Pok affected by the project.

They had generally expressed dissatisfaction for not being consulted before the implementation of the project, which involved the construction of a 1,600ha man-made island, which was seen as polluting the environment and jeopardised the marine ecology that was also their livelihood.

Prior to this, sea reclamation to build the island, which was 30 percent completed, was voluntarily halted by the developer last June 15 despite never receiving any notice from the Department of Environment.

The project has generated a lot of public attention as there were claims that the villagers’ land will be taken for the construction of 10 golf fields to complete the Forest City development project.

However Mohamed Khaled refuted such claims, saying that the government would avoid taking their land for building roads to Forest City and would inform them if it took place.

The Forest City project, which has a gross developement value (GDV) estimated at RM600 billion on reclaimed land, is a joint venture between KPRJ, a Johor state government-owned subsidiary and a developer from China-based Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd.

- Bernama