Malaysia: Green light for Johor Forest City

SIM BAK HENG New Straits Times 14 Jan 15;

JOHOR BARU: After weeks of reviewing, the Department of Environment (DoE) has finally granted its approval to the detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) report of the controversial Forest City project.

With the approval letter in hand, this means that Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV), the master developer for the project, could commence this mammoth offshore project at any time now.

Today, CGPV announced that the DoE has granted the approval for the DEIA report, which covers the measures proposed to minimise or mitigate environmental impacts through integrated and workable solutions.

Speaking about the approval, Datuk Md. Othman, the executive director of CGPV, said the next step is to ensure that all compliance monitoring, in terms of air, noise, water quality and sediment, are robustly implemented and carried out.

"This is one of our immediate priorities to minimise the impact to the local communities and ensure that the surrounding ecology are well preserved.

“This is a massive step forward in our goal to bring sustainable development to the state.

"The project is consistent with the Government’s vision as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Upon completion, it is expected that new job opportunities will be created for vast numbers of citizens.”

Environment Department green-lights Johor Forest City project
NELSON BENJAMIN The Star 14 Jan 15;

JOHOR BARU: The Environment Department (DOE) has given the green light for the Forest City project to continue.

In a statement on Wednesday, the project’s master developer Country Garden Pacificview said that the department had approved the Detailed Environment Impact Assessment (DEIA) for the proposed forest city island reclamation and mixed development.

The statement added that the DEIA covers the measures proposed to minimise or mitigate environmental impact through integrated and workable solutions, which were accepted by the DOE.

The Forest City project will create four man-made islands with a gross development value of RM600bil over a period of 30 years.

It is a joint venture between the state government’s subsidiary company Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) and real estate developer from China, Country Garden.

Proposed Johor multi-billion-ringgit Forest City Project scaled down
NELSON BENJAMIN The Star 15 Jan 15;

JOHOR BARU: The controversial multi-billion-ringgit Forest City Project, which was suspended for about six months, has finally been given the green light to resume, after being scaled down by at least 30%.

The project, which was initially slated to cover 1,978ha, has now been scaled down by approximately 610ha to 1,368.05ha.

The project is expected to resume following the Department of Environment (DOE) approval of the project’s detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) on Jan 9.

Johor Health and Environment executive committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat confirmed that he had been informed that the DOE had given the nod for the project to resume.

“However, there are conditions which come with the approval and I hope the developer will fulfil all these conditions,” he told StarBiz here.

But when asked about the conditions, he said he had yet to read the contents of the report, as he was on leave and would be going away to perform his umrah.

Asked when the project was expected to resume, he said he was not sure, adding, however, that the developer would be able to proceed with the development now that the DEIA report was out.

The project, by Chinese developer Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV), will create four man-made islands with a gross development value of RM600bil over a period of 30 years.

It is a joint-venture between the state Government’s subsidiary company Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor and China real estate developer Country Garden Holdings Ltd.

Many quarters had in the past voiced concerns, mainly local fishermen and residents, over their livelihood and the dangers to the marine life in Gelang Patah.

Even the Singapore Government had expressed its concerns about the project in a note to Putrajaya, resulting in the project being temporarily halted, pending the outcome of the DEIA.

CGPV voluntarily ceased construction on June 16 last year because the DOE had requested a DEIA to accompany the project’s viability assessment and the state government approvals.

In the past, the state DOE had given CGPV the clearance to start reclamation works for the first phase of about 49.3ha, but ceased operations in June last year when concerns were raised about the project.

At the height of the issue, there were conflicting reports over the DEIA report, including the possibility that the project would be scaled down.

Meanwhile, CGPV, when asked about the number of conditions imposed by the DOE with regards to the DEIA approval, replied that “we are highly committed to ensuring all the environmental factors are thoroughly assessed and mitigated. Upon commencement of the work, we will submit an updated Environmental Management Plan together with a frequent third-party audit as requested by the DOE”.

Meanwhile, CGPV executive director Datuk Md Othman in a statement said that the DEIA covered the measures proposed to minimise or mitigate environmental impacts through integrated and workable solutions, which were acceptable to the DOE.

“Our next step is to ensure that all compliance monitoring, in terms of air, noise, water quality and sediments, is robustly implemented and carried out.

“One of our immediate priorities is to minimise the impact to the local communities and ensure the surrounding ecology is well-preserved.

“On behalf of CGPV, I will like to extend my appreciation to all parties who have made their contributions to the DEIA.

“Rest assured that we will continue to work closely with all stakeholders and regulatory authorities to ensure the project development always takes into consideration the needs of the communities and the environment,” he added.

He further stated that the approval of the DEIA was a step forward in its goal to bring sustainable development to the state.

Othman added that among the tangible benefits include diversifying the income base and improving the quality of living of the local communities by providing workshops and training schools in different sectors, rejuvenating the infrastructure in the area.

Among them include the building of a new access road, the construction of power stations and a new water reticulation system.

“We hope to increase investment activities in the region by creating an investment corridor,” he added.

In about-turn, KL approves bigger area for Forest City project
Today Online 15 Jun 15;

KUALA LUMPUR — In an apparent reversal of its earlier reported stance, Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE) has greenlighted the RM600 billion (S$228 billion) Forest City mixed-development project in Johor.

The decision comes barely a week after reports in Malaysia quoted the DOE as saying only a fraction of the project — 405ha, instead of the developer’s planned 1,386ha — would be given the go-ahead. Yesterday, however, the developer said approval had been given for 1,386ha — only a shade smaller than the original plan of 1,623ha.

Country Garden Pacific View (CGPV) said yesterday that the DOE had approved the project’s detailed environmental impact assessment report (DEIA), which means the developer can now proceed with earthwork and construction.

The developer said in a statement that reclamation would continue, but with the project’s total size slightly reduced. The project, now divided into four reclaimed islands, instead of one huge island nearly three times the size of Ang Mo Kio as originally planned, will have a total size of 1,386ha — smaller than the 1,623ha proposed by the firm.

However, the latest development is a reversal of the DOE’s announcement last week that it would impose a limit of 405ha on the developer.

The Malaysian Insider reported last week that the DOE had verbally informed CGPV of the new limits, after complaints from locals and the Singapore Government over reclamation work in the narrow waterway between Malaysia and the island state.

For now, CGPV said its “next step is to ensure all compliance monitoring, in terms of air, noise, water quality and sediment, is robustly implemented and carried out”.

“This is one of our immediate priorities, minimising the impact on local communities and ensuring the surrounding ecology is well preserved,” said CGPV executive director Md Othman Yusof.

The Forest City project will see four man-made islands built in the waters in Tanjung Kupang between south-western Johor and the north-west of Singapore. The mixed-development project will include residential and commercial lots.

Mr Md Othman said the project was “consistent with the government’s vision as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme”.

CGPV is a 66-34 per cent joint venture between China’s Country Garden Holdings and Esplanade Danga 88, whose main shareholder is the Sultan of Johor. Johor state company Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) is also a partner.

Several media reports last year said following a diplomatic note from Singapore, the DEIA was conducted because of the project’s location near the Malaysia-Singapore border and coastal reclamation work involved.

The assignment was initially approved by the Johor DOE in January last year, but work at the project’s site was halted in June after the developer was instructed to submit a DEIA.

The project is being implemented off the coast where fishing communities and villages make a living from sea produce and agriculture in the Tanjung Kupang area.

Fishermen and fish-farm operators have blamed land reclamation work for mass fish deaths in the area, but the developer has denied this.

The firm that prepared the DEIA report, however, had apparently raised caution about dredging and sedimentation caused by the project that would affect the seabed, said the New Straits Times, which had obtained a copy of the report and reported on it last month.

The paper said despite mitigation measures to cushion the environmental impact, including the use of a “silt curtain” around the reclamation area, experts had said more damage could be expected. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Controversial Johor Strait land reclamation project Forest City gets the go-ahead
MARISSA LEE Straits Times 14 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE - Construction and reclamation for a luxury housing project to be built on a man-made island in the Johor Strait will continue, with Malaysia's Department of Environment (DoE) giving the developer the go-ahead.

Work on the project off Tuas had been suspended from last June as concerns about its environmental impact were raised on both sides of the border. Since then, all parties have been waiting for a final verdict from the DoE.

Singapore conveyed its concerns about the project on a number of occasions to the Malaysian government, asking for more information on the reclamation and construction works.

Apart from the project which is called Forest City, a group of investors is also planning a 1,410ha reclamation project for an oil and gas hub farther west off Tanjung Piai.

The DoE last Friday announced on its website that the Forest City project had been approved.

On Wednesday, the project's master developer, China-based Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV), said in a statement that reclamation will continue, but with the project's total size slightly reduced.

The project, now divided into four reclaimed islands instead of one huge island nearly three times the size of Ang Mo Kio as originally planned, will have total size of 1,386ha (3,425 acres).

This is smaller than 1,623ha proposed by the company.

The master developer is a joint venture between China's property developer Country Garden and a Johor state agency, with reports saying that the project's backers included Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail.

Country Garden is controlled by China's richest woman and one of the world's youngest billionaires, Ms Yang Huiyan, 33, who is the second daughter of businessman Mr Yang Guoqiang, 59.

Datuk Md Othman, executive director of CGPV, said: "Our next step is to ensure that all compliance monitoring, in terms of air, noise, water quality and sediment, are robustly implemented and carried out."

"Upon completion, it is expected that new job opportunities will be created for vast numbers of citizens."

The development will diversify the income base of the local communities by providing workshops and training schools in different sectors, CGPV said in its release.

It will also rejuvenate the area infrastructure, by building a new access road, constructing power stations and new water reticulation systems, CGPV said.