SHAH ALAM, Oct 15 — Up to RM8 million has been allocated for maintenance works in Klang, making it the second-highest district in the state to receive such funding.
Selangor Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) director Dato' Mohd Nazri Yasmin said the allocation covers drainage and ditch cleaning works as well as rubbish trap maintenance.
“On average, the state government allocates RM20 million for all of Selangor, with RM8 million for Klang and the remainder for other districts.
“However, for the development of plants and the construction of bunds, the allocations are significantly higher. That said, we will include this maintenance funding in next year’s new policy application so that allocations and work can be expanded in 2027,” he said.
Nazri was speaking as a witness during the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability, and Transparency's (Selcat) public hearing session at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly today.
Presided over by Selcat chairman cum Assembly Speaker Lau Weng San, the session discussed the latest progress in Klang's flood mitigation efforts.
Earlier, Nazri said that Klang recorded the highest number of flood-prone areas statewide, with 64 identified locations and 21 hotspots.
He added that one project, located in Sungai Kandis, Klang, has been classified as 'sick' due to utility relocation issues, forcing the contractor to request a time extension.
Meanwhile, fellow witness and Klang DID engineer Mohamad Hafiz Hassan said the department's maintenance works cover four categories: rivers, retention ponds, drains and waterways, and rubbish traps.
The average annual allocation has remained relatively consistent: RM8.5 million in 2023, RM8.87 million in 2024, and RM8.85 million for this year.
“For this year, a total of 24 river maintenance works were carried out at a cost of RM1.89 million, while 19 retention pond cleaning works incurred RM1.37 million.
“As for drains and waterways, 118 maintenance works were implemented, recording the highest expenditure at RM5.11 million, while three rubbish trap works at floodgates involved a RM210,000 allocation,” he said.
Previously, the Klang Royal City Council's (MBDK) acting engineering director Mohd Zaidi Zainal said that Klang’s longstanding urban development plan, along with its ineffective drainage system, had been identified as the leading cause of flooding in the area.
He noted that changing geographical conditions compared to the past have also posed challenges for MBDK in tackling flood incidents.
