PETALING JAYA: Trip to Johor Baru was for an urgent official engagement relating to a project under the Transport Ministry, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       Dr Wee was responding to DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke’s question on his absence from the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Wednesday (March 9).

       Loke had asked Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Henry Sum Agong, who was there to respond to his question on the implementation of the e-testing or automated driving test system, on whether the minister had given the Johor state election more importance than his Parliamentary duty.

       “I had an official engagement in JB for a project under the Transport Ministry which needs immediate attention. I went over to the site to solve the people’s problem. Relax bro!” Dr Wee said in a Facebook post in response to the Seremban MP's query.

       The MCA president further added that Wednesday was not meant for Ministers' Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat as that is only held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

       He added that, according to the Standing Orders, the minister or deputy minister could respond during the question-and-answer session.

       “It looks like this DAP leader has truly run out of issues. What is there to be disputed when I have checked the response and my deputy was able to answer the question,” he said.

       Dr Wee had visited Kampung Melayu near Jalan Tiong in Johor Baru to monitor the latest development of the Gemas-JB double-tracking project and the drainage problem there which led to the flooding of two nearby housing estates and a slum near Sungai Tebrau a few days ago.

       The MCA chief said the issue was brought to his attention by Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad and he decided to make a site visit to find a solution to the flood problem.

       He said the project contractor SIPP-YTL JV and the Drainage Engineer from the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) were also present.

       Barisan Nasional’s Larkin candidate Mohd Hairi Mad Shah and Stulang candidate Ang Boon Heng, who are both former executive MBJB councillors, had appealed to the MOT for help for the flood victims, the Ayer Hitam MP said.

       Dr Wee said he had ordered the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak to hold a special meeting with the contractor, consultant, MBJB engineer and representatives of the local community to find a long-term solution, adding that the views and input from MBJB would be taken into account.