PONTIAN, July 8 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Pekan Nanas state seat, Yeo Tung Siong, has expressed disappointment over the continued delays to the proposed Pekan Nanas bypass road project, claiming that the development has repeatedly been sidelined in favour of other projects under the Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) state administration.
In a media statement issued today, Yeo said the proposed alternative route connecting Jalan Sawah in Pekan Nanas to Ulu Choh had faced repeated postponements due to funding priorities being shifted to other projects.
He said the development of Pekan Nanas should not be neglected, especially as other areas such as Iskandar Puteri and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) continue to progress rapidly.
“Residents of Pekan Nanas are still facing the same traffic congestion issues every day, despite these problems being preventable with proper infrastructure planning,” he said.
Yeo claimed that during his tenure as Pekan Nanas assemblyman from 2018 to 2021, he had raised the issue at least four times in the Johor State Legislative Assembly and continued engaging relevant government agencies to push for the project.
He said these efforts eventually led to the project being included in the Johor Budget 2021 under the Johor Infrastructure package for roads and bridges.
According to Yeo, the land acquisition process began after the project was included in the state budget. However, following the 2022 general election, he continued monitoring its progress and sought assistance from DAP Johor Opposition Leader Andrew Chen to raise the matter in the state assembly.
Yeo said he was disappointed with the Johor government’s response in 2024, claiming the project had been postponed in 2023 and 2024 due to rising construction costs and the need to apply for an increase in the project ceiling allocation.
He questioned the state government’s decision to prioritise other projects, saying the bypass road was important to improve the daily lives of tens of thousands of residents.
Yeo also highlighted that the Johor government recorded a fiscal surplus of RM95.38 million in 2024, questioning why the project could not proceed despite available financial resources.
“This is not merely a question of funding, but whether there is the commitment and determination to implement the project,” he said.
Comparing the records of representatives involved in the constituency, Yeo claimed that he had continued pushing the project forward even while in opposition, while the current government representative had not been able to ensure its implementation.
He added that the delay had worsened traffic conditions in Pekan Nanas, with heavy vehicles such as sand lorries continuing to use Jalan Sawah, contributing to congestion affecting residents travelling to work and sending children to school.
Yeo urged Pekan Nanas voters to give him another opportunity to represent them in the Johor State Legislative Assembly, pledging to continue advocating for the bypass road project until it is implemented and completed.
He is contesting the N55 Pekan Nanas state seat as a PH candidate in the 16th Johor State Election (PRU16).
— MINUTESMY
