KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Cleaning work of the oil spill in the waters of Pengerang, Johor, which started yesterday morning is scheduled to be completed on Saturday (June 29), said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Phase One of the cleaning work, involving collecting oily waste by an appointed contractor, had reached 95 per cent, while Phase Two, involving spraying rocky areas and cleaning pebblestones, was 20 per cent completed.
"Other cleaning works such as the collection of tarballs on the surface of the beach and the containment of oily water using absorbent booms to prevent it from flowing towards the sea are also being actively carried out.
"It involves the Sungai Rengit beach area, which is behind SK Sungai Rengit and the Sungai Rengit Fisherman's Jetty," he told the press after opening a carnival at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa today.
Nazmi said the oil slick was also detected in the waters of Pulau Cik Kamat, and cleaning will be carried out after the situation in the area is assessed.
As of today, the status of other locations, including the rocky area behind the Sungai Rengit Police Station, has not been cleared, while monitoring continues at the Teluk Ramunia Beach near the mosque area.
"The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has also mobilised its assets to monitor waters of Pengerang up to the Abu Bakar Maritime Base, and so far, no oil slicks have been detected in the area involved," he said.
According to media reports, the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima struck a Singaporean fuel supply ship, Marine Honor, on Friday (June 21).
The impact damaged the cargo tank, causing about 400 tonnes of oil to leak into the waters off the Singapore coast and spread into Malaysian waters.
Meanwhile, when asked about the discovery of 40 bags suspected of containing scheduled waste in an open area near Kulim, Kedah yesterday, Nazmi said the Department of Environment is still investigating the matter.
"The ministry has also suggested to the state government to install closed-circuit television cameras in hotspots dumping areas as well as strategic locations to deal with the problem,” he said.
— Bernama
