JOHOR BARU: Dataran Mahkota, the state’s administration centre at Kota Iskandar in Nusajaya, is big enough to accommodate up to 50,000 people at any one time.

Located between the new Johor State Assembly building and the Mentri Besar’s and state secretary’s complex, the facility is suitable as an assembly area for government staff, functions and even as a spot for relaxation.

An official from Cahaya Jauhar Sdn Bhd (the company tasked with building and maintaining the 130ha Kota Iskandar) said that Dataran Mahkota was divided into five components.

Refreshing: People relaxing by the fountains overlooking the new state assembly building.

He said the components comprised a ceremonial ground, central water plaza, memorial wall, amphitheatre and welcoming moulds.

“The ceremonial ground is a fusion of tiles and grass lawns which form a huge geometric shape in the form of a star and a half moon.

“We also have a memorial wall detailing the state’s history and glory days,” the official said, adding that this was suitable to promote tourism.

He said the open-air amphitheatre, which could sit about 1,800 people, was ideal for entertainment, and cultural and social activities.

“At night, the view is spectacular, especially with the lighting, fountain and garden,” the official said, adding that the construction of Kota Iskandar started four years ago.

There are three main parks within the complex — Atrium Jauhar, Laman Kasturi and Laman Bunga Rampai.

Spacious: People walking along Dataran Mahkota at Kota Iskandar. At the back is the new Mentri Besar and State Secretary’s Complex.

The official said the government buildings were unique as they were built in the concept of a Malay house with traditional roofing.

“We have another shaped like an A with aluminium frames outside the building to keep out the glare and heat.

“These buildings also have spaciousness and greenery to give government servants some breathing space,” he said.

Kota Iskandar also deploys a state-of-the-art garbage disposal systems which involves the fixing of covered pipes within the buildings to channel garbage to a collection area.

“Garbage is just put into this vacuum pipeline and carried into a dumpster,” the official said, adding that the buildings were also disabled-friendly.

On security, he said that closed-circuit cameras were positioned at strategic spots and people entering the area would go through several checks.

The total development cost of Kota Iskandar is RM1.5bil and it will take several more years to be fully developed.

Featuring a combination of Moorish and Andalusian architecture, Kota Iskandar was launched by Johor Sultan Sultan Iskandar Ismail last week.

In his speech, Sultan Iskandar commended those involved in the construction and described the centre as a landmark for Johor.

He was accompanied by his consort Sultanah Zanariah Tunku Ahmad.

Present at the ceremony were the Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ibrahim Ismail and his consort, and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

Kota Iskandar will eventually house 76 state and federal agencies and have a total staff strength of more than 6,000.

The first batch of more than 1,000 Johor government staff have already moved in.