Weathering the storm

THE year started off on a grim note for the Selangor residents affected by the massive Dec 18, 2021 flood.

Clean-up efforts and fund-raising drives dragged into January for those living in areas worst hit by the flood in parts of Shah Alam, Hulu Langat, Sepang and Klang.

Since then, various districts in Selangor have experienced their share of floods due to downpours leaving major roads impassable, cars partially submerged and homes as well as commercial areas inundated.

Flooding is to be expected when skies darken overhead in districts such as Klang, Kuala Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Hulu Langat and Sepang.

Drains choked with silt and rubbish contribute to the flood problem, which is aggravated by intensely heavy rainfall.

Selangor infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry committee chairman Izham Hashim said old drains built between three and five decades ago needed to be widened to cope with the volume of water after a downpour.

Due to the intensity of rain in recent years, city councils and municipalities have come up with sustainable mitigation plans including infrastructure upgrading projects to address flooding.

Flood mitigation

Earlier this month, Izham launched Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) Shah Alam Sustainable Urban Drainage Master Plan (SAsud) initiative that will cost RM14.6mil.

The first phase of SAsud will involve the upgrading of drainage networks as well as building two pump houses in Section 25, Shah Alam.

Izham added that the first phase would involve 30 projects while 19 projects had been identified for the second phase.

These projects, which started in Taman Sri Muda this month, are to be carried out over a three-year period.

Taman Sri Muda 2 Residents Association (Section 25) chairman Mogan P. Thangavelu said while the SAsud mitigation initiative was needed, MBSA should be taking into account a 100-year rainfall plan instead of a 50-year projection.

“MBSA’s calculation is based on a 50-year projection which is inadequate,” he said.

“Taman Sri Muda’s Section 25 and Section 33 are located nearby Sungai Klang and are below sea level.

“We are facing higher surface runoff than ever before due to increasing thunderstorms which means greater flood risks if water cannot be channelled out or dissipate into the ground fast enough.”

Mogan said the state government should review the plan and instal high volume water pumps as a short-term approach to deal with water surge besides widening drains in and around Section 25.

“High-capacity pumps similar to dredge pumps is the practical way forward,” he added.

Floods have also been affecting Klang residents living in Meru’s Persiaran Hamzah Alang, Jalan Kasban, Jalan Kenangan, Jalan Khamis, Jalan Jabar, Taman Daya Meru and Taman Daya for over 10 years.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Norazam Khamis said based on his team’s observation, the flooding in Meru was attributed to clogged drains that were unable to cope with the rainfall.

Other areas in Klang hit by floods are Taman Emas, Taman Intan, Taman Ria, Taman Aman, Taman Alam Nyata, Taman Putra and Taman Saga and the main road off Jalan Abdul Manan in Kapar, Taman Melawis, Taman Sentosa, Taman Bayu Perdana, Taman Bukit Tinggi and certain parts of Bandar Botanic.

Drains in most of these areas have to be upgraded as some are damaged while the alignment in others have shifted.

Floods also affected Kampung Sri Tanjung, Kampung Cemperai, Kampung Jenderam Hilir and Pekan Dengkil, Kampung Lalang and Kampung Ampar Tenang in Sepang.

Residents in these areas want Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) to reinforce river bunds and urgently implement flood mitigation measures.

Petaling Jaya residents living in Section 11, 17 and 19, SS7, Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara and Persiaran Surian have also had to deal with floods.

In Kuala Selangor, residents want the authorities to address the flooding issue at Jalan Rawang (Kuala Selangor to Bestari Jaya) Batu 8 Kampung Asahan, Taman Suria and Kampung Rantau Panjang in Bestari Jaya.

Bon Odori’s attraction

In June, the then minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad ruffled feathers when he said Muslims should stay away from the Bon Odori Festival at the Shah Alam National Sports Complex.

The PAS leader’s statement hit a raw nerve because he claimed that the Japanese summer festival, which has been celebrated in Malaysia for 45 years, was “influenced by elements of other religions”.

Consequently, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah asked Idris to attend the festival to learn the difference between culture and religion.

The Sultan views the festival as a cultural event fostering goodwill between locals and the Japanese community in Malaysia.

Plan for the state

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari made history when he introduced the comprehensive First Selangor Plan (RS-1) during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting in July.

RS-1 is the framework for mobilising the state’s policy for a five-year period involving projects and initiatives worth RM212.44bil.

There are four strategic themes for RS-1 — strengthening the economy, ensuring social inclusivity and the people’s well-being, driving environmental sustainability as well as providing good and effective governance.

Macro indicators which Selangor aims to achieve by 2025 include a median household income of RM9,290 a month, reducing the percentage of relative poverty to 11%, providing employment opportunities to between 3.5 and 3.8 million individuals or 97% of the state’s labour force.

Water supply solution

In October, Amirudin announced that the Sungai Rasau water treatment plant (WTP) in Klang, which would be able to mitigate the risk of water supply disruption in the near future, is expected to be completed in 2025.

The WTP is being built with a more systematic ecosystem for sufficient water reserves.

In the event of disruption to one water resource, the other plant can help supplement supply to affected consumers. Cashless parking system

Earlier this year, the state government abolished the coin machines and paper coupon system for parking fee payment.

In their place, Selangor introduced ecoupons through its Smart Selangor Parking application which is available on Apple App Store and Google Play store.Today, there are two million motorists using the cashless parking application.

Attracting investors

In April, Selangor registered an estimated RM960mil in potential investment during the Selangor Week trade event organised by Invest Selangor Berhad hosted by the Malaysian Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

With a record of 68,518 visitors, the event saw 158 business matches which resulted in 92 potential collaborations with international investors keen on doing business with the state.

Selangor Week promoted the state’s five clusters of industries for investment — electrical and electronics, life sciences (biotechnology), transport and equipment (aerospace), machinery and equipment, and food and beverage.

Newly introduced clusters of services for tourism, information, communication and technology (ICT) and ecommerce, logistics and digital investment were also promoted at the trade fair.

Boost in tourism

The state government via Tourism Selangor launched its Go Selangor application to give tourists full access to tourism products and boost Selangor’s economic engine.

The app serves as a “one-stop centre” for various operators/traders to encourage tourists to explore interesting locations in Selangor.

Through the app, tourists can purchase tickets, book hotels, chalets, homestays and transport among other services.

In mid-2022, international tourist arrivals to Selangor rose when Malaysia transitioned from the Covid-19 pandemic to the endemic phase.

Landslide tragedies

It was reported in March that the Selangor government has identified over 150 high-risk slopes that can possibly trigger landslides, especially around Gombak, Ampang and Hulu Langat.

While landslides have occurred in a number of locations throughout the year in Selangor, two particular incidents stood out as they involved fatalities.

On March 10, a landslide in Taman Bukit Permai 2 in Ampang resulted in four deaths while a fifth victim suffered from light injuries.

The biggest incident for the year would be the landslide at an organic farm in Batang Kali on Dec 16, where 31 people died and 61 survived.

Hike in dengue numbers

The number of dengue cases has more than doubled, compared to the corresponding period last year.

According to a Selangor Health Department report, as at Dec 24, a total 36,476 cases were reported, which was an increase of 137% or 21,093 cases from the corresponding period last year (12,383 cases).

The number of deaths is 11 this year compared to two last year.

Land confiscation

The Selangor Land and Mines Office (PTG) is in the process of confiscating over 8ha of land in Bukit Serdang in Seri Kembangan, previously used as an illegal dumping ground, to solve the odour pollution problem at Taman Puncak Jalil.

The pollution is caused by leachate escaping from rubbish and entering drains linked to the Taman Puncak Jalil retention pond.

The smell has troubled thousands of residents.Budget for sanitary pads

Selangor became the first state in Malaysia to approve a free sanitary pad programme which is set to roll out next year.

In the state’s RM65.5mil budget for 2023, RM200,000 has been allocated for free sanitary pads and awareness programmes to help individuals lacking access to menstrual products and sanitation facilities due to financial constraints.