PETRA Hands Over Six Completed Projects Worth RM186.1 Million to Johor

The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) handed over six completed projects worth RM186.1 million to the Johor government.

According to Deputy Minister, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, close cooperation between the state government, local authorities, and residents is very important to ensure that the planned projects can be implemented and fully utilised.

“The Federal Government through PETRA is also committed to going to the states to assess the latest situation regarding projects or programmes in the energy, renewable energy, and water sectors,” he said at a press conference for the Handover of Completed Projects to the Johor government.

Five projects are under the Irrigation and Drainage Department, namely the Bekok Dam Upgrading Project, the Johor State Mechanical and Electrical Infrastructure Upgrading Project for Flood Control, the Pengkalan Seri Menanti Laut Breakwater Reclamation Project in Muar, the Sungai Suloh Eco-Friendly Drainage System Upgrading Project in Batu Pahat and the Concrete U-shape Construction Project from Sungai Batu Pahat to Pekan Semerah.

Another project is the Layang 2 Raw Water Distribution Project under the Water Supply Department (JBA).

When asked about efforts to reduce flood risk, Akmal Nasrullah confirmed that larger flood mitigation projects for Johor are in the works.

“We (PETRA) also take note of climate change and continuous rainfall for more than 24 hours, which has affected several areas, but that does not mean there are no efforts or ways to reduce flood risk.

“If we refer to the previous mandate of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the civil servants, he expressed that there is a need for us to see space or opportunities to ensure that these projects can be completed perfectly.

“That is why at the ministry and department level, we have already taken the initiative to start studies and discussions because among the challenges that need to be managed are not only commitments in terms of enforcement but also the commitment of the contractor to accelerate the progress of the project,” he said.

He stated that PETRA, through the formation of the Special Task Force on Water Supply and Flood Mitigation Issues in Johor, is committed to coordinating issues that arise during the project’s pre-implementation stage in order to expedite the projects.

Overall, Akmal Nasrullah stated that the Federal Government has approved 29 projects totalling RM5.64 billion and an allocation of RM224.8 million for Johor under the Fifth Rolling Plan (RP-5) of the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12th Malaysia Plan) through PETRA.