Quoting a statement by local Umno politician Md Lazim Atan, the newspaper said the reclamation work was also destroying coral at the mouth of the Johor river.

Mr Lazim, an Umno branch chairman, said the river mouth faces the two Singapore islands and is a fishing ground for fishermen from Tanjung Surat, Kota Tinggi and surrounding areas.

'Since Singapore started its reclamation work, fish and other marine life here have been depleted as their original habitats have been disturbed.

'The situation has been worsened by Singapore's sand and soil extraction works to deepen the front section of Pulau Tekong Besar and used for reclamation on Pulau Tekong Kecil's side.

'It is said that the sand dredging is affecting coral which is the habitat of various fish,' he told the Malay daily when contacted in Kota Tinggi on Monday.

'In the past, fishermen could catch an average of 3kg of prawns and 5 or 6kg of pomfret and mackerel but now even one kilo is difficult.'