KUALA LUMPUR (June 23): Cleaning works of the oil spill in the waters of Pengerang, Johor, which started on Saturday (June 22) morning, is scheduled to be completed by the coming Saturday (June 29), said Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said phase one of the cleaning works, involving collecting oily waste by an appointed contractor, had reached 95%, while phase two, involving spraying rocky areas and cleaning pebble stones, was 20% completed.

"Other cleaning works such as the collection of tarballs on the surface of the beach and the containment of oily water using absorbent booms to prevent it from flowing towards the sea, are also being actively carried out.

"It involves the Sungai Rengit beach area, which is behind Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Rengit and the Sungai Rengit Fisherman's Jetty," he said when met by reporters after opening a carnival at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa here on Sunday.

Nik Nazmi said the oil slick was also detected in the waters of Pulau Cik Kamat, and cleaning will be carried out after the assessment of the situation in the area is completed.

As of Sunday, the status of other locations, including the rocky area behind the Sungai Rengit Police Station, has not been cleared, he said, while monitoring continues at the Teluk Ramunia Beach near the mosque area.

"The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has also mobilised its assets to monitor waters of Pengerang up to the Abu Bakar Maritime Base and so far, no oil slicks have been detected in the area involved," he said.

Based on media reports, the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima struck a Singaporean fuel supply ship Marine Honor on Friday (June 21). It damaged the cargo tank on Marine Honor, which caused about 400 tonnes of oil to leak into the waters off the coast of Singapore, and has spread into Malaysian waters.

Meanwhile, when asked about the discovery of 40  bags suspected of containing scheduled waste in an open area near Kulim, Kedah on Saturday, Nik Nazmi said the Department of Environment was still investigating the matter.

"The ministry has also suggested to the state government to install CCTV (closed-circuit cameras) in hotspots dumping areas, as well as strategic locations, to deal with the problem,” he said

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