Was on my way to the International Conference - Johor Bahru World City 2020 in the Persada Convention Centre when I encountered a flash flood. There was a massive traffic jam. It rained only for a little while early in the morning. The reclamation works issue immediately sprang to mind.
However, Johor State secretary Datuk Ismail Karim said the reclamation works was not the cause of the flash flood. Datuk Ismail, the former city mayor, said it could be due to the floodgates and the sudden morning downpour.
If Johor Bahru aspires to be a future world city like Tokyo, Singapore, London and New York, this flash flood issue must be looked into immediately.
"Policies and frameworks structured by city governors and councils must address future imbalances of land use, physical infrastructures, facilities and social issues of urbanisation. Addressing these future issues and challenges today will allow a more diligent approach towards a world city management in the future," says Urban, Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government deputy minister Datuk Halimah Sadique at the launch of the inaugural conference which saw the presence of 500 delegates from around the region.
"The success of Johor Bahru as a world city by 2020 also hinges on the efficiency and prolific implementation of policies and strategies and how it is being translated at grassroot levels," she added.
The Johor Bahru City Council is a local authority that is given the supremacy under the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171) to provide the township services to all residents of Johor Bahru city. It is an organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government that is responsible for the planning and development of the city which covers 220km sq ft.
The current mayor is Abdul Rahman Dewam.
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