SHAH ALAM, Oct 16 — Government departments and agencies must shift their strategy and prioritise the maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure to address flooding.
Selangor Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) chairman Lau Weng San said maintenance requires serious attention, especially in older areas.
“When maintenance allocations are neglected, it leads to floods and could incur even higher costs in the long run due to lack of upkeep, not to mention stalled or problematic projects.
“We must change our strategy. In addition to allocating funds for new infrastructure to meet current needs, we must also increase maintenance funding, as both should progress in tandem,” he said.
Lau, who is also Selangor State Legislative Assembly speaker, presided over the committee's public hearing at the State Secretariat Building yesterday, which discussed the latest developments in efforts to tackle flooding in Klang.
During the session, he expressed satisfaction with the seven witnesses who testified on the issue, representing the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK), the Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS), and the Klang Land and District Office.
However, Lau emphasised that the maintenance funds allocated by the MBDK and JPS for infrastructure upkeep to address flooding in Klang remain insufficient.
“The JPS' decision to review all maintenance allocations and include them under its new policy framework is appropriate, even if implementation can only take place in 2027.
“Although somewhat technical, incorporating it into a new policy is a sound strategy to ensure continuous improvement in maintenance efforts,” he said.
At the hearing, the JPS said Klang receives the second largest allocation, RM8 million, among all districts.
JPS director Dato' Mohd Nazri Yasmin said the allocation covers drainage and ditch cleaning works as well as rubbish trap maintenance.
