A view of the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (Linkedua) from Singapore. A report said that massive land reclamation works on the Malaysian side of the link threaten to strain ties between the two countries. – Pic courtesy Calvin Teo / Wikimedia Commons, May 30, 2014.
A massive land reclamation and development project backed by the Johor royal household is causing a wrinkle in the close Malaysia-Singapore ties, the Edge Review reported today.
Quoting sources in its Informer column, the paper reported that China’s Country Gardens Holding Co Ltd has secured rights from the Johor government to reclaim as much as 2,000 hectares of land on the Johor coast for a luxury residential project.
The multi-billion dollar project will extend the Johor coast around the so-called Second Link right up to the edges of the boundary separating Malaysia and Singapore, it said.
The Edge Review reported that the Malaysian side of the Johor-Singapore link is creating unease in the island state.
It quoted sources as saying that Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar is behind the project, which is being actively promoted by powerful politicians in Johor.
It further said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was facing a serious dilemma on how to deal with concerns raised by Singapore.
There are potential hurdles to the planned Johor development.
Malaysian environmental rules stipulate that reclamation projects involving areas exceeding 50 hectares must carry out environmental impact assessments before development can proceed.
To circumvent this legal requirement, the promoters of the Johor development have proposed dissecting the reclaimed area with canals.
While environmental issues come under Putrajaya's purview, all land matters fall under the jurisdiction of the state government.
Although Singapore has yet to publicly raise any concerns over the project, the Edge Review reported that the republic's diplomatic feathers have been ruffled. – May 30, 2014.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/massive-land-reclamation-project-linked-to-royalty-set-to-ruffle-malaysia-s
A massive land reclamation and development project backed by the Johor royal household is causing a wrinkle in the close Malaysia-Singapore ties, the Edge Review reported today.
Quoting sources in its Informer column, the paper reported that China’s Country Gardens Holding Co Ltd has secured rights from the Johor government to reclaim as much as 2,000 hectares of land on the Johor coast for a luxury residential project.
The multi-billion dollar project will extend the Johor coast around the so-called Second Link right up to the edges of the boundary separating Malaysia and Singapore, it said.
The Edge Review reported that the Malaysian side of the Johor-Singapore link is creating unease in the island state.
It quoted sources as saying that Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar is behind the project, which is being actively promoted by powerful politicians in Johor.
It further said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was facing a serious dilemma on how to deal with concerns raised by Singapore.
There are potential hurdles to the planned Johor development.
Malaysian environmental rules stipulate that reclamation projects involving areas exceeding 50 hectares must carry out environmental impact assessments before development can proceed.
To circumvent this legal requirement, the promoters of the Johor development have proposed dissecting the reclaimed area with canals.
While environmental issues come under Putrajaya's purview, all land matters fall under the jurisdiction of the state government.
Although Singapore has yet to publicly raise any concerns over the project, the Edge Review reported that the republic's diplomatic feathers have been ruffled. – May 30, 2014.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/massive-land-reclamation-project-linked-to-royalty-set-to-ruffle-malaysia-s
