Hasty pedestrians hustling and bustling along the walkways of Masjid Jamek LRT continue to be greeted by the same familiar background – the massive longkang which continues to flow underneath, markedly defined by its murky water and putrid stench. But this is no longkang; but rather what was once a proud river flowing in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It is this same river that gave birth to the magnificent city we see today, as it all began where the rivers of Gombak and Klang meet to form a muddy confluence, hence the name Kuala Lumpur.

In the 1970s, the city saw an extended period of massive rainfall, and a flood that lasted for days as the long-neglected river was acting up due to the poor water management system. The relevant authorities then decided to have concrete walls built and the river widened as measures to pre-empt floods and better manage the water levels. As decades pass, the existence of the river becomes forgotten.

As the city started to celebrate greater development and economic growth, city planning became less centred upon the river, resulting in neglect. However, the river did not go unnoticed for long.

Recognising the tremendous potential the rivers have, the River of Life Project was launched by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in efforts to restore it to its former glory.

This project sees ambitious targets of improving the river water quality from its existing state to one which allows for body contact and other activities, plans for river beautification along the stretch of the two rivers and also to bring about greater business opportunities.

Given the huge potential of this project to be a game changer by significantly transforming the rivers, the increased efforts throughout the past few years have begun to bear fruit.

The water quality along certain tributaries have seen improvements, from previously hazardous levels to river water now safe for body contact. Besides that, the plans for river beautification are making headway, with the extensive renovations at Masjid Jamek taking shape.

PEMANDU is now running a survey to determine what the public thinks about Kuala Lumpur’s rivers. You can share your thoughts here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FW96HFB