ISKANDAR PUTERI – The water crisis faced by Kg Sg Melayu residents has been ongoing for the last seven months, said Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad.
Addressing the state assembly sitting, here, Pandak said the water supply crisis at the eco-tourism spot located just a stone’s throw away from the state assembly building was due to leakages along a fibre pipe that cuts across from Kg Sg Danga to Kg Sg Melayu in the constituency.
He said that the persistent issue has affected 200 households as well as the school, clinic, and mosque within the vicinity.
“Now the residents are only dependent on the water delivered to the village by (state water operator) Ranhill SAJ (Sdn Bhd).
“This issue persisted as the pipes were already old and needed to be replaced quickly so that the rakyat could enjoy clean treated water in their homes.
“We should be ashamed, living in a city but oftentimes the water supply is often interrupted due to pipe leaks.
“We can’t be expected to bathe and wash our clothes in the river anymore when we are living in the digital age.
“What’s more, Kota Iskandar is a state-of-the-art administrative centre that we’re proud of,” Pandak said while debating the 2023 Johor budget at Bangunan Sultan Ismail, here, today.
He urged the state government and Ranhill SAJ to immediately solve the issue for the sake of the rakyat.
Meanwhile, Pandak lamented the hike in property tax imposed on residents of the village located inside Iskandar Puteri city.
Pandak said that those that lived in traditional villages inside the constituency should not be paying the same property tax as those that lived in the urban areas.
“For example, a homeowner in Kg Sg Melayu, which is one of the villages included in the administration of the Iskandar Puteri City Council, has to fork out RM200 per year for his property tax.”
Pandak said that while the village is located inside Kota Iskandar city, the villagers did not enjoy the same infrastructure provided in the city’s urban areas. – The Vibes, December 7, 2022
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