Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Md Jais Sarday (middle) and Johor Baru City mayor Amran A. Rahman (second from right) visiting restored heritage buildings the during the launching of the MBJB Clean Zone programme.

JOHOR BARU: Johor Baru City Council will make Muar its role model in diversifying efforts to achieve the target of becoming the cleanest city in the country.

Its mayor Amran A. Rahman said Muar’s selection coincided with its recent accomplishment of being tagged as one of the “Cleanest Tourist Cities” at the Asean Tourism Forum 2018 held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

It was also in line with the council’s target to make Johor Baru the cleanest city in the country, he said.

“This process will take some time because we need to create a high level of awareness among the public to maintain cleanliness.

“In the meantime, we are working with various parties, including the Iskandar Regional Development Authority and Think City Sdn Bhd, to implement certain projects such as the beautification of Johor Baru,” he said here.

Earlier, the council launched the Clean Zone and site visit to the Buildings Conservation project, officiated by Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Md Jais Sarday.

It is hoped it will complement some of the council’s previously undertaken efforts, including the implementation of the conservation works of eight heritage buildings in Jalan Segget.

Amran said the conservation project, with the support of Think City, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, was an effort to translate the aspirations of the council to turn the city’s heritage areas as “Living Heritage City”, as outlined in the Johor Baru City Centre conservation master plan.

“About 30 per cent of the fully completed conservation project, costing RM280,000, was borne by the council while the rest is from Think City,” he added. – Bernama