	WORKING VISIT BY YB DATO’ SHAZIMAN ABU MANSOR, THE MINISTER OF WORKS TO BANGUNAN SULTAN ISKANDAR, BUKIT CHAGAR, JOHOR BAHRU, JOHOR
	Date: 18 November 2009. Location: BANGUNAN SULTAN ISKANDAR, BUKIT CHAGAR, JOHOR BAHRU. Reported by: Jaleel Abdul Rashid.

	Wednesday, 18 November 2009 – The Minister of Works, YB Dato’ Shaziman Abu Mansor accompanied by his officers from the Ministry of Works and Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) made a working visit to Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), Bukit Chagar and the Lorry Customs and Immigration Complex (Lorry CIQ) in Tanjung Puteri, Johor Bahru. The Works Minister’s entourage arrived at BSI at 4.00 p.m. and was received and greeted by Ir. Hj. Zulkifly bin Madon, the Construction Director of JKR-GSB and other state government and private agencies at the entrance of JB Sentral. The minister’s entourage was then ushered to the meeting room in BSI for a briefing session. It was followed by briefing to the minister on issues and challenges after the operation of BSI and Short Term Access (STA). The briefing session started with Ir. Hj. Zulkifly’s presentation on the GSB project overview, which covered the project backgrounders, project components, progress of the project, the STA, Medium Term Link (MTL) and the up to date traffic report.



	The session went on with a presentation by Tuan Mohd Salleh bin Ismail from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department on facts and figures of lorry movement at the Johor Causeway and Lorry CIQ. Tuan Mohd Salleh in his briefing said that the department is now operating 24 hours on the operation of lorries carrying perishable items, since Sunday, 15 November 2009. The minister was informed that the traffic congestion has reduced significantly after it began operating round the clock. The session ended with Q & A sessions with the minister, where all parties were given the opportunities to highlight issues, challenges and way forward to resolve the impending problems highlighted by the public.



	The visit on 17 November ended at the connection point to the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) where the entourage was briefed on the flow of traffic leading to Johor Bahru town. Members of the media was called for an impromptu news conference with the minister, where he concluded the outcome if his first day visit. On the morning of 18 November, the minister continued his visit at 6.00 am, the purpose of his visit was to oversee and focus on the movement of the public – inbound and outbound and traffic flows at the STA and Lorry CIQ. The working visit ended at the Tanjung Puteri Lorry CIQ as the minister requested for viewing at the site to oversee the movement of the cargo at the checkpoints. The minister left the site at 7.00 am.