JOHOR BAHRU (March 19): The Kim Kim River, which was polluted following the dumping of chemical wastes 13 days ago, is confirmed clean and safe, said Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

However, it will be monitored for 15 days to ensure the situation is really safe.

"Even now, I no longer wear a mask, but the monitoring is crucial because we have to take into account the unknown.

"Overall, it is clean but we monitor to convince the people that the river is safe,’’ she told reporters at the first location of the dumping of the chemical wastes, here today.

Yeo said the cleaning works were completed and the contractors were now in the process of transferring the chemical wastes collected to the disposal area.

The process of cleaning the affected 1.5-km stretch of the river, which started on March 13, ended on March 17. It involved numerous parties including three appointed contractors and the Fire and Rescue Department.

She also said that the report of the Scientific Committee will be announced tomorrow encompassing data analysis on the pollution other than the methods and solutions used in overcoming the pollution in the river.

When asked on whether the cleaning works would affect the natural flow of the river, she said: “Anything that (is) related to the science of removal, we will give a full report tomorrow. Tomorrow we will give details on the flow (of the river) and other things, how we see things, how we calculate. Tomorrow we will answer.”

Some 900 tonnes of polluted soil together with sludge and 1,500 tonnes of polluted water had been collected by the appointed contractors.

The process of transporting all the wastes in stages is expected to be completed by March 21.