An idle land belonging to the customs department in Johor Baru.

JOHOR BARU: An Umno leader has asked the government to reevaluate the privatisation model of idle land for profits and commercial purposes in the city area.

Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said such land should instead be developed for housing and business opportunities for the city’s next generation.

Citing an example of an army camp land in the state, which was previously privatised, he said the residents there were sent to Batu Pahat and Kluang.

“Now, this place has been commercially developed. All the voters have been moved elsewhere,” he said during the launch of the Johor Baru Umno delegates meeting recently.

Shahrir said the Federal Government should emulate the strategies of the state government in building more homes for city folk in the pockets of land available in Johor Baru.

He added that there were two huge pieces of Federal Government land totalling 27ha in Johor Baru and Skudai.

“We should not let these parcels of land be left idle as this will attract those who want to privatise the land for profits,” he said.

Although these were federal land, he said power should be given to the Johor Mentri Besar to use these sites for public housing projects.

Shahrir also spoke about KTM’s double-tracking project which would affect at least three existing “crooked bridges” in Johor Baru.

These bridges are in Jalan Stulang Baru, Jalan Kebun Teh and Jalan Abad.

The RM9bil project will run from Gemas and all the way to Johor Baru.

Shahrir also said something has to be done to address the traffic congestion along major roads.

“We need better planning. Iskandar Regional Development Authority and Johor Baru City Council need to look into this matter, including upgrading many of the junctions,” he said, adding that the Health Ministry should also build a new hospital or polyclinic for mothers and children near Kampung Kurnia.

In his speech, Shahrir added that Umno winning in Johor Baru was not because of only him but because everyone was united.

Shahrir, who had said that he will not defend the parliamentary seat in the next general election, reiterated his stand and said that he would hand over the baton to a younger leader.