SHAH ALAM, Nov 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has pledged additional funding for river dredging works to address recurring floods in Kampung Melayu Subang.
Kota Damansara assemblyman Izuan Kasim said Anwar had also reviewed immediate flood mitigation projects, or quick wins, to ensure they effectively reduce flood risks.
He said the initial measures would include installing several temporary floodgates and identifying rivers through which floodwaters enter the affected areas.
“Anwar has committed to providing additional funding to enable these rivers to be dredged first and several temporary floodgates to be installed.
“This is part of the commitment by the federal and state governments. I also provided input on several rivers that contribute to flooding in the area, although we acknowledge that heavy rainfall is also a factor,” he said.
Izuan was speaking after attending the Selangor Flood Disaster Coordination Special Meeting chaired by Anwar at the Parliament building yesterday afternoon.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, State Secretary Datuk Dr Ahmad Fadzli Ahmad Tajuddin, Infrastructure executive councillor Datuk Izham Hashim, and representatives from local authorities (PBT) and relevant agencies.
Meanwhile, Izuan said the Selangor Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) had also outlined several short-, medium- and long-term plans to address flooding in the area.
He expressed hope that immediate measures could be implemented without waiting for long-term projects to be completed, bringing relief to affected residents.
“We hope all these plans will help reduce the impact of flooding. While waiting for the long-term projects to be completed, we cannot afford to wait any longer.
“I will continue to regularly review progress with the local authorities and DID to ensure river dredging works proceed smoothly,” he said.
Earlier, Amirudin said four key measures had been prioritised during the meeting, including strengthening early warning systems, improving disaster management coordination, finding solutions to flash floods and examining best practices in flood management adopted by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Meanwhile, Anwar stressed the importance of maintaining rivers, drains, drainage systems, retention ponds and floodgates to ensure all infrastructure functions properly.
He also directed relevant agencies to identify high-risk areas, expedite the clearing of clogged drains and strengthen water level monitoring.
