KUALA LUMPUR: There are no plans to stop land ownership grants to private entities around flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) said that development near flood retention pond areas have not caused new flood hotspots.
She said that there were many factors for flash floods, not only development, but also excessive rainfall.
“For example, the recent flash floods that caused us in this Dewan Rakyat to be delayed by half an hour, was due to excessively high rainfall,” she said, adding that rainfall expected over a month had occured in just two hours.
She also said that she has requested Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to conduct an analysis to check if there is direct correlation between the number of planning permissions issued and the number of flood hotspots or flash floods occurring in Kuala Lumpur.
“The current state development approach is smart growth, which is rapid development without sidelining sustainability and the values of a city," she said.
She said that the development of Kuala Lumpur, the capital, needs to be prioritised so that its benefits are also felt by residents and to inspire other states.
She was responding to Teresa Kok's (PH-Seputeh) supplementary question about whether the government will cease land ownership grants around flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur, as Kok claims that rapid development can cause flash floods.
Responding to the original question, Zaliha also said that eight development projects in the vicinity of flood retention ponds have been approved since 2014.
This includes Taman Wahyu, Kolam Delima, Tasik Metropolitan Kepong and Tasik Damai Lake Fields involving Taman Wahyu Pond, Delima Pond.
“DBKL is monitoring, especially in the project areas around the approved flood retention ponds, and so far we have found that the water levels are still under control and there have been no flooding incidents there,” she said.
