The Malaysian Insight

PUTRAJAYA’s lack of commitment, poor city planning and rampant development plans are some of the underlying causes of recurring flash floods in Kuala Lumpur, opposition lawmakers said.

They said Putrajaya does not seem committed in coming up with flood mitigation measures, given the recurring flash floods in the capital city.

Cash aid also needs to be given to those affected, as those recovering from the December floods are once again paying for the government’s failure, they added.

“Flood mitigation plans should have been done immediately after the December floods, but that has not happened,” Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil told The Malaysian Insight.

“Putrajaya needs to explain why this is recurring. Are we going to see more?” he asked.

The PKR lawmaker said 140 houses and 564 people were affected by the floods in his area on Monday, and they have not been able to go home.

He said the sudden floods on Monday occurred in the same area as during the December floods, in which 300 families were impacted.

He said those closest to the monsoon drain were the most badly affected, while those on higher grounds were unaffected.

He also said flood victims can seek shelter at SJKT Saraswathy as the school is situated on a hill.

“The residents complained that they were just recovering from the December floods, and now it has happened again.

“I think we have to look at maintenance. After the December floods, I mentioned poor maintenance of the monsoon drains. I don’t know whether they have done maintenance work. 

“At the same time residents have been complaining about the pump house, asking whether it has been repaired and functioning,” he said.

He said there are teams on the ground helping clean houses affected by the recent floods. 

“In terms of clean-up, teams are already on the ground. It is not just cleaning up, it’s also removing the rubbish as we did in December.

“Coordination needs to take place to ensure Alam Flora can bring in the trucks.” 

Fahmi also wants the government to fulfil its pledge in giving RM2,500 to affected families in Lembah Pantai.

He said out of 300 affected by the flood in December, only 160 have received compensation from Nadma, while 155 are still waiting.

He said he had highlighted the delay to Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim.

Fahmi said he also hopes that the government will assist victims of the floods with more than just RM2,500 as it takes roughly RM10,000 for them to get back on their feet.

“I hope they find a way to give this amount, or maybe they could look at EPF or other options,” he said.

Just three months after the Klang Valley saw its worst flooding since 1971, Kuala Lumpur was again hit by flash floods on Monday.

The Irrigation and Drainage Department website showed that seven rivers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor exceeded dangerous water levels at 5.30pm yesterday following heavy rain.

Apart from parts of Lembah Pantai, the flash floods affected areas such as the Tabung Haji tunnel, the Jalan Chan Sow Lin tunnel, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Sri Permaisuri, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Kuchai Lama and Jalan Pinang.

The water level in the capital was categorised as dangerous as at 4:45pm yesterday. 

Overhaul drainage system 

Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun meanwhile said the government must take necessary action to overhaul the drainage system for water to flow smoothly and quickly during a downpour. 

“I received a lot of photos yesterday and many cars were submerged. This is serious. Once a car is damaged, it has no value, even worse if it is a ‘branded’ car,” he said.

DAP’s Fong said there have been discussions with the Kuala Lumpur mayor and Federal Territories minister to ensure they respond swiftly.

Both Fong and Fahmi have submitted an urgent motion to the Dewan Rakyat regarding the flood situation. The motion is expected to be debated tomorrow.

Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew said there was a minor landslide that occurred behind five houses in her constituency, with no serious damage or injuries reported. 

However, she said, the authorities should not take the matter of minor landslides lightly. 

Yee Kew said rapid and illegally planned development projects by hills and on slopes have destabilised the land and threatened the safety of the residents who live at the foothills. 

“The planners should be more cautious in approving such development projects, and engineers must inspect the conditions of slopes with development projects more regularly to prevent landslides,” she said.

She also questioned the lack of effort by Shahidan, whom she said had not called for a meeting with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on flood mitigation plans and actions. 

“So, where is the commitment of the minister?” she said. 

She also added that there should be more stringent approval and no more flood plains or retention ponds being alienated for housing or commercial purposes. 

“And no more compromises on these because of interference from interested parties. 

“I feel disgusted by the fact that DBKL allows housing and commercial development to continue in four out of six retention ponds in KL city after the massive flood here recently.

“No technical ground is good enough to give away retention ponds for development,” said the PKR lawmaker.

Resign if you can’t do the work 

Meanwhile, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said while his area was not badly affected, it is still a cause for concern.

He also chastised Shahidan and hinted that he should resign for failing to mitigate the flood situation.

The DAP veteran said affected locations in his area were the Chan Sow Lin tunnel, which saw two cars submerged, as well as Jalan Pudu Ulu and Jalan Cheras. 

“Recently, we had a meeting with DBKL and relevant parties, during which they assured us that they would have flood mitigation programmes as well as preventive measures after the December floods, but yesterday’s incident only showed us that they are not ready,” Tan said. 

He said it is deplorable that the floods are recurring just three months after the December floods. 

“The city mayor and DBKL should be an elected body. They should take heed of the public’s grouses and they should do their jobs responsibly for the public,” he said.

“I fail to see convincing improvements from yesterday’s floods and hope that yesterday’s incident will serve as a good lesson to various authorities to improve or mitigate the floods better,” he said, adding that DBKL is constantly giving excuses when it fails to mitigate a flooding incident.

Several areas were once again hit by flash flood today following a downpour earlier in the evening. – March 8, 2022.