KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has hit back at the Immigration Services Union Peninsular Malaysia (KPISM) after it told the menteri besar to address people's issues beyond border checkpoints
"Does KPISM not want me to help resolve the congestion issue at Johor Causeway, which involves hundreds of thousands of people every day?" Onn Hafiz wrote briefly in a Facebook post.
Onn Hafiz's reaction came after a statement by KPISM's president Ajeet Singh Gurbax Singh which took aim at his frequent surprise visits to the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) border checkpoints.
Ajeet said that although the move was commendable, Onn Hafiz should focus on issues regarding the people.
As such Ajeet said, the Johor menteri besar should look beyond the issues at the border checkpoints and focus on other issues of the people that need to be addressed.
"There are other issues of the people such as housing for Johor residents, traffic congestion in Johor Baru city, shortages of subsidised goods like cooking oil and local rice, frequent water supply disruptions in certain areas, drainage issues in rural areas, flood-prone low-lying areas, and various other issues affecting the B40 group.
"I believe there are many more rural areas that the menteri besar has yet to visit and empathise with their difficulties, yet traffic congestion at BSI and KSAB remains a priority."
Ajeet also calls for Onn Hafiz to give attention to the North-South Expressway (PLUS) congestion issue from Skudai to Ayer Hitam.
"This stretch is constantly congested due to having only two lanes compared to three and four lanes on the rest of the highway to Kuala Lumpur," he said.
Recently, Onn Hafiz expressed disappointment when 13 counters at the car lane at the Johor Causeway were not opened to the public, causing congestion.
He said the operational development of the country's border gates at the BSI Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex still seemed to be lacking full efficiency.