IRDA urged to be more inclusive

The Iskandar Regional Development Authority is urged to be more inclusive while carrying out big projects in Johor Bahru, said Johor Baru Member of Parliament, Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Shahrir said that the development of Iskandar Malaysia should adopt an open policy to invite the opinions of locals and to be inclusive, so that the public will get a chance to participate in the development, he said in his key note speech at the Iskandar Malaysia Sustainable Metropolis Conference 2011, yesterday.

The conference attracted more than 500 people, with questions from the public ranging from the future of Orang Laut, who were allegedly victimised by the rapid development, to the request for an LRT system to solve the area’s transportation problems.

The organizers promised to look into the issues raised at the conference.

The Iskandar Malaysia Region Project is a 20-year development project which started in 2006 and covers an area of 2,217 sq km.