Singapore rebuts Johor CM's flood claim - Todayonline, 1st February 2007- Johor Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman told the New Straits Times that it was Singapore's reclamation project on Tekong island, close to the Johor river, that caused it to flood.
- Mr Abdul Ghani claimed that this caused the mouth of the river to narrow and excess rain water could not be discharged. The river then burst its banks in Kota Tinggi, he said, submerging homes and streets.
- Singapore has rebutted the claim and even Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has distanced himself from his colleague's statement.
- Meanwhile Singapore's Ministry of National Development (MND) said in response to media queries: "The comments are unfounded. This is confirmed by the results from the technical studies that were commissioned separately by both the Malaysian government and the Singapore government."
- The studies were carried out as part of the proceedings before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to settle the dispute on Singapore's land reclamation works at Pulau Tekong and Tuas View Extension.
- The MND pointed out that a study carried out by Malaysia's Department of Irrigation and Drainage in 2002 on the impact of the reclamation works should there were no appreciable changes to the water levels within the Straits of Johor for flood flows.
- "As such, the study concluded that there is no increased flooding due to Singapore's reclamation works," said the MND. Other studies came to similar conclusions. Both governments then accepted that it would not be necessary for the flood impact to be assessed any further.
- "There is, therefore, no scientific basis to the allegations that the flood is caused by Singapore's land reclamation works in Pulau Tekong," said the MND.
- The Johor administration has come under increasing pressure in the wake of the floods that killed 17 people and left Malaysia with a massive RM1.5 billion bill — the cost of helping the flood victims and repairing roads and schools. About 30,000 people are still taking shelter at relief centres.
It is the hottest trend now, hope that Singapore government would take Mr Ghani on court for "defamation"! I did not know that Mr Ghani is so knowledgeable in scientific study, perhaps he can share some of his findings, rather than wasting his precious time pointing fingers at Singapore, trying to find a perfect scapegoat when he is under intensed pressure for their messed-up relief activities.
How does he think that he can get away with his baseless accusation? Bear in mind that Singapore is not ruled by the all-mighty UMNO party, so not everyone can take the same sh*t.
