SHAH ALAM, Aug 11 — The Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) has been urged to review safety measures around Sungai Klang following an incident in which a child was feared to have drowned after falling into the river at Persiaran Subang Indah, Subang Jaya, yesterday.
Subang Jaya state assemblyman Michelle Ng Mei Sze said the measure is important as Sungai Klang is located in an urban area and has several potentially hazardous locations.
"I have been in contact with JPS to review what safety measures can be improved. This is an urban area, and it is close to the river, so there is a need to review safety measures to prevent similar drowning incidents from happening again," she told the media on the sidelines of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
Ng added that the residents' safety should also receive due attention while the river embankment upgrading project is being carried out to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
The project should not only take flood mitigation into account, but also prioritise the safety of residents living around the river.
In a related development, she said a body was found during a search and rescue (SAR) operation this morning, but its identity has yet to be confirmed.
The authorities were conducting further investigations to establish the identity.
"I ask the public to give the police, the Fire and Rescue Department, and hospital authorities space to carry out the necessary investigations. We are still hoping for the best, especially for the family involved," Ng said.
The assemblyman also expressed her appreciation to all agencies involved in the SAR operation since yesterday.
She noted that this was the first such incident during her tenure in Subang Jaya, although incidents involving individuals falling into Sungai Klang had occurred elsewhere.
Yesterday, the media reported that a seven-year-old Indonesian boy was feared to have drowned after falling into the Klang River at Persiaran Subang Indah, next to a supermarket in Subang Jaya.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said that they received an emergency call regarding the incident at 8.06pm.
