SHAH ALAM, Aug 23 - The Selangor government has agreed five immediate measures with Kuala Lumpur to reduce flood risks in the state and territory, focusing on water retention, drainage, land management and sustainable urban development.
The agreement was reached between Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
“The urgency stems from the fact that three in 10 Malaysians live in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which together contribute 41.7 per cent of Malaysia’s economy,” they said in a joint statement today.
Among the measures are a technical meeting to be held within two weeks to decide project locations, scope, costs, funding and implementation methods, with initial studies to be prepared before the next Parliament session and Budget 2027 tabling.
Other measures are capacity studies of the Batu and Klang Gate dams to assess whether they can meet water management needs for the next 20 to 30 years, and identifying new flood retention ponds in upstream areas based on technical, land, environmental, and community considerations.
The immediate moves also include increasing the Kampung Laksamana, Sungai Kertas and Bukit Lagong retention pond capacities and coordinating river dredging and silt disposal, including identifying a suitable 12ha site in Selangor for dredged silt.
“Each measure will be detailed according to its location, implementing agency, estimated cost, funding source, and implementation period.
“The priority of both administrations is to reduce flood risks, strengthen urban resilience, and ease Kuala Lumpur and Selangor residents’ anxiety during the rainy season,” read the joint statement.
The two leaders also said their governments will coordinate with technical agencies to ensure flood management, urban development and green space protection are planned in a balanced and sustainable manner.