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OVER ten bodies, including those of infants, have been discovered in the Klang River since the commencement of major flood mitigation and rehabilitation works under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, raising serious concerns about environmental degradation and public safety in the state's key waterway.
The bodies were recovered following the start of dredging and widening operations on 1 November 2022, according to Syaiful Azmen Nordin, managing director of Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB), the master developer of the SMG.
“This is not an isolated incident. We have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and fire department for further investigation,” he said during a visit to the Zone 8 project site in Kota Kemuning on Monday.
“There was even an occasion where three bodies were found on consecutive days.”
Syaiful noted that the discovery of infant remains had been particularly distressing and was among the most unexpected challenges faced during the project.
Alongside human remains, teams have encountered severe riverbed pollution, including the retrieval of large debris such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, beds, mattresses, sofas, and even a motorcycle.
“I honestly do not understand how a refrigerator ends up in a river,” he remarked, underscoring the scale of environmental neglect and the significant complications it poses to riverbed dredging.
The Klang River Flood Mitigation Project is part of a broader SMG strategy to increase the river’s capacity by 40 per cent, restore its ecosystem, and raise water quality to Class III or higher on the National Water Quality Index.
The initiative also supports the Shah Alam Sustainable Urban Drainage (SASUD) system and complements the development of the Sungai Rasau water treatment facility, with the long-term goal of turning the Klang River into a viable raw water source.
“To date, over 918,936 cubic metres of sediment, debris and other pollutants have been removed from the riverbed,” Syaiful said.
The project includes widening the river from 50–60 metres to 80–100 metres and strengthening embankments using earth bunds, sheet piling, geobags and flood walls, alongside advanced flood prevention technologies.
Current works are concentrated in flood-prone areas of Shah Alam, specifically Zones 6, 7 and 8, encompassing Alam Impian, Section 24, Section 17, and Kota Kemuning.
LLSB has assured residents that local disruption is being kept to a minimum, through measures such as alternative access routes, noise and dust monitoring, and early public advisories.
“This project does more than increase flood resilience. It is about restoring the Klang River’s dignity as a crucial water resource and sustainable ecosystem,” said Syaiful.
He confirmed that the works would be extended to other parts of the Klang River based on flood risk assessments and population density.
“Our challenges are considerable, but we believe that this integrated approach represents the future of flood mitigation and water resource management in Selangor,” he said. - June 16, 2025