Selangor govt takes heed of sultan's concerns, sets up flood task force

The Selangor government has accepted the recent reprimand by Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who expressed concern regarding the cleanliness of the Royal City of Klang and the flood situation in the state.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said a special task force was set up as a commitment of the state government to expedite flood mitigation efforts to avoid delays due to the culture of working in silos at the agency level.

“So far, the state government has established a joint task force with the federal government and local authorities so that flood mitigation plans and efforts are implemented in a more comprehensive context.

“In fact, I recently reiterated to the state executive council members that we cannot delay in implementing flood mitigation efforts, whether deepening rivers, widening drains, or dual-function reservoirs,” he said in his speech at the investiture of state awards and medals in conjunction with the 79th birthday of the Selangor sultan at Istana Alam Shah, Klang, today.

Amirudin (above) also said at least RM1.774 billion has been allocated for the efforts with RM574.5 million being used in the Klang district, while RM1.2 billion for the Petaling district.

The menteri besar said the state government was also working to implement the Raw Water Guarantee Scheme which would allow water treatment plants to continue to distribute raw water from the Hybrid Off-River Storage System temporarily as part of efforts to address raw water pollution incidents in the river.

“With a cost of RM320 million, I am pleased to announce that to date, two of the four main packages have been fully completed, while two river diversion works at the inlet of the Sungai Selangor Water Treatment Plant Phases 1, 2, and 3 will be fully completed this month,” he said.

In his royal address at the launch of Masjid Jamek Cina Muslim Klang on Dec 5, Sultan Sharafuddin expressed disappointment over the cleanliness in the Royal City of Klang and pointed out that many areas remain dirty and poorly organised, with rivers filled with litter.

His Royal Highness said he had repeatedly reprimanded and advised local authorities and the state government to take effective action and plan carefully to resolve the flooding issue in the Royal City of Klang and several other districts in Selangor, yet floods continued to occur every year.

The sultan also ordered the Klang Royal City Council and the state government to take immediate action to tackle the flood problem in Selangor, urging them to make full use of the financial resources allocated for this purpose.

Revenue and developments

Meanwhile, Amirudin said that as of Dec 9 this year, Selangor recorded a revenue collection of RM2.593 billion, which is 118 percent of the 2024 target of RM2.2 billion.

He said the state government was also in the final process of launching the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park 2 in Cyberjaya following the success of the first IC Design Park in Puchong.

“This initiative is the result of strong cooperation and close understanding between the state and federal governments to increase economic value and high-paying job opportunities in Selangor and achieve an export value of more than RM100 billion in this industry by 2030,” he said.

The menteri besar also announced that the state government would launch the Selangor Speed Policy in April 2025 which would focus on new industries including artificial intelligence and supporting industries - semiconductors including electrical and electronics - as well as aerospace and high-tech manufacturing.

- Bernama

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