Johor MB weak management of environmental crisis

The government-of-the-day has an environmental crisis in hand following toxic waste found dumped into Sungai Kim Kim and various sites in Pasir Gudang, Johor.

The Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid told The Malay Mail Online that the dumping was spotted sometime back but the Johor state government procrastinated to cite high cost as reason.

If the Johor state leadership have judgemental shortfall in pre-empting a crisis, the reaction of PPBM's Johor Menteri Besar Dato Osman Sapian was equally short of intelligence.

Osman, who was recently exposed for falsely claiming to have a non-existence Accouting degree from UPM, was reported by a blog to have said no need to move residence as closing the door is sufficiently safe.

Utusan reported Osman said the environmental crisis is not a big issue. It shows ignorance and mind boggling lack of intelligence and empathy.

No wonder a Mahathir fanatic PPBM cyber trooper, Zaleysmb MB pre-empted to fault former Menteri Besar Dato Khaled Nordin.

Whether his call to not politicise the issue and work together to get out of the crisis is genuine or not, the reaction of several Pasir Gudang local indicate the opposite.

One Zainal living in the Tenggara Parliamentary constituency claimed factories in Pasir Gudang were completely built during Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin era as MB and Tun Dr Mahathir as "PN4".

Zaleysmb Mb then belong to a group of Johor "cyber warrior" as it was known then that broke away from MyKMU in order to get funding from Muhyiddin.

His Royal Hghness the Tengku Mahkota of Johor (endearly nicnamed as TMJ) blamed a former MB for turning Pasir Gudang into an industrial zone without discussion and consent of the late Sultan Iskandar.

A Johorean source claimed TMJ specifically mentioned Titan, the petrochemical plant which was likely to have been acquired by China investor and now known as Lotte.

PNB had shares in the plant then and it was again during Mahathir's trusted woman Minister, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz who was running MITI and responsible for licensing and FDI.

During Mahathir's administration, government was in a rush for FDI and loose on environmental and occupational safety issues. Malaysia was then criticised for deforestation but Mahathir defended it gallantly.

Ramli, a local resident of Pasir Gudang said Zaleymb MB claim of illegal recycling plant as the cause is a lie.

One of the contributing factor is an unlicensed storage for toxic waste. He blamed state government-of-the-day for not taking action since knowing the cause on March 7th since.

In fact, Ramli claimed a DOE statement dated March 12th only mentioned plan of appointing a contractor.

Why so late?

Ramli added goverment-of-the-day disastrously failed to avert and address the crisis. In anger, he vented against the MB for not coming down to ground zero to understand the problem.

MB was comfortable listening to briefing with food served, photo op and seen only at the Ground Command Center.

At least, Minister Yeo Bee Yin cancelled her honeymoon to get immediately to the site. According to the website Orang Kata, a tyre recycling factory will be charged in court and claimed 100 recycling centres have been raided by DOE.

It's a bit too soon to be believable for DOE to be able to identify and charge the culprit that caused the current tragedy. It could be the information cooked up to kitchen sink Khaled.

An Orang Kata video being viral showed the current government tendency to propaganda even crisis that affected school children.

As one comment on FB questioned:

Though the subsequent state governments after Muhyiddin could be blamed for not preparing for such crisis, usual reasons can only be expected; budget constraints and only act when disaster attitude of Malaysian civil servants.

Khaled did gave a statement:

He rightly pointed out the weakness of state government leadership under such a crisis situation.

The point is clearer with the revelation by a waste management employer below (name and company name witheld:

... kerja kat .... , syarikat kitar semula di PG, dah dpt arahan dari govt, utk uruskan kes nie. Sbb MPPG takde "cost" nak buat. DOE pun masih blur blur. Currently kawasan Sg Kim Kim cuma kepung pakai oil boom and this treatment tak jalan. Sbb memang akan bau la selagi tak pump keluar. Air Sungai tuh kena pam and buang sepatutnya; target malam nie. Chemical nie memang bahaya, sbb chemist yang amik sample air sungai (1 litre); kena pakai baju angkasawan mcm Syed Muzaffar pergi bulan. It is CYANIDE; bukan methana chemical ya. Memang boleh buat orang mati pelan plean kalai hidu benda nie. Baik baik ya, semoga kita semua dilindungi.

According to the Fire Department DG, there was also burning and the current heat wave worsen the situation.

The question in the mind of the public is why was only the 13 school or 14 to include an MRSM affected school? [Latest: 111 schools]

Chegubard posed the above question in FB to highlight tweeters by TMJ and the local are in a daze of the extent of the crisis.

Why were the children gathered and treated in school hall then hospital?

Suppose it is not true MB said about closing the house door as sufficiently safe, but why not declare a state of emergency as PH used to call for as opposition for any situation?

Bad crisis management and leadership. Government which refuse RESPONSIBILITY. In a matter of time, Mahathir will blame Najib, Jho Loh and 1MDB for this mishap.

Lim Guan Eng will blame high debt caused by Najib for not afford an emergency. MOF cannot afford RM20 million cleanup, but could afford RM20 million for SRJJC.

Ultimately, blame Najib for FDI avoiding Iskandar Malaysia.