Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was apparently unaware that Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian had visited Batam, Indonesia during the Pasir Gudang toxic waste environmental crisis.

Mahathir said on March 18, as per Malaysiakini: "Did he go? I also don't know."

Promoting tourism in Batam

Osman had apparently travelled to Batam to promote tourism to his state.

Slammed for leaving Johor

However, he was criticised for doing so while schools were closed and hundreds of people were seeking medical attention from the toxic fumes, after chemicals from a tyre recycling factory were illegally dumped in Sungai Kim Kim.

UMNO MP Hishammuddin Hussein, the former Defence Minister, said that Osman should not have gone and should have prioritised handling the crisis personally.

Osman said that the trip had been cut short to "less than a day" after the initial schedule of three days.

Mahathir and Osman are of the same view

However, Mahathir defended Osman's decision not to declare a state of emergency, as the Chief Minister felt the situation was under control.

Mahathir said he agreed with Osman's assessment:

"He has his views but the fact is that in the end, we were of the same view that there is no cause for us to declare an emergency or panic.

(This is) because we know we are doing all the right things and handling the situation well."

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Top image from Mahathir Mohamad and Osman Sapian's Facebook pages.