SELANGOR GOVT TAKES HEED OF SULTAN'S CONCERNS, SETS UP TASK FORCE TO EXPEDITE FLOOD MITIGATION EFFORTS

KLANG, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The Selangor government has accepted with open hearts the recent reprimand by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who expressed concern regarding the level of cleanliness in the Royal City of Klang and the flash flood situation in the state.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that a special task force has been set up as a commitment of the state government to expedite the implementation of 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 in the deepening of river, or widening of drainage or dual-function reservoirs," he said in his speech at the investiture of state awards and medals in conjunction with the 79th birthday of Selangor Sultan at Istana Alam Shah here today.

Amirudin also said that 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 (HORAS) 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 standards 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 that he had repeatedly reprimanded and advised local authorities and 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.

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