PKR nudges defected MP to use his new-found 'access'

 

Johor PKR has nudged Tebrau MP Steven Choong to use his new-found access after another bout of river pollution in his constituency.

It noted that Choong (above), who quit PKR to support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional government on Feb 28, had cited the access to ministers and government agencies as a reason for his defection.

In an immediate response, Choong said he would visit the site with Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man this afternoon.

"I will be in the area with the minister later at 3pm," he told Malaysiakini.

Yesterday, black spots were detected along Sungai Kim Kim, raising fears of the 2019 incident when waste dumped into the river released toxic fumes, leaving more than 2,000 people ill and hundreds hospitalised.

Choong also shared his communication with the Department of Environment, which said it could not take a sample of the pollution because it was no longer present when officers went to the site.

Earlier, Johor PKR chief Jimmy Puah Wee Tse and Tebrau PKR chief Teoh Eng Hoon, in a joint-statement, asked Choong to address the issue.

Teoh replaced Choong as the Tebrau PKR chief after the latter's defection.

They noted that while Sungai Kim Kim was geographically in Pasir Gudang, it actually falls within the parliamentary constituency of Tebrau.

"We demand that the Tebrau MP goes to the ground to resolve the Sungai Kim Kim river pollution and ensure that it does not repeat in future.

"If the river pollution cannot be resolved, we demand that the Tebrau MP resign immediately," they added. - Mkini