Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong, in a statement, said that Kluang residents had been facing water rationing since Aug 16, while those in Mersing have been suffering for almost five months.

He attributed illegal farming and plantations around dams, as well as the lack of water catchment areas, for this.

“The main challenge is most dams in Johor are surrounded by oil palm estates.

“I visited Lebam and Upper Layang Dams with senior SAJ (Johor water utility company) officers in November 2015 and Congok Dam a week ago.

“Sembrong Dam, which caters for the needs of Kluang, is also surrounded by farms, animals and oil palm estates.

“We have even seen a horse bathing in the Sembrong dam!” the Kluang MP said.

He also slammed the lack of catchment areas at dams, likening them to a “glorified open water tank”, which is filled only with rainwater.

“If there is no rain or if rain doesn’t fall into the dam, there would be no water for consumption. Such is the sad state of affairs in Johor.”

Liew then compared the water management in Johor with that in Singapore, stating that the republic had increased its water catchment areas over the past four decades.

He questioned whether the state government had the political will to rein in illegal farming and plantations around dams, and expand water catchment areas in the state to prevent a water crisis.

“I call on Khaled to come up with a plan with a detailed time frame to remove all the oil palm estates around dams and expand water catchment areas to ensure long-term water supply for the people of Johor.”