Selangor to ask for RM1bil from federal govt for flood mitigation

 

(The Star) - A proposal to approve a RM1bil fund to Drainage and Irrigation (DID) department for the purpose of building more retention areas will be submitted to the federal government soon, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said on Sunday.

Khalid said the proposal papers were ready but the matter would be discussed with state exco members before the papers were submitted.

“The proposal will explain why the allocation was necessary and what would happen if retention ponds and drains were not built.

“The people's plight must be looked into and since DID is under the federal government, it is only right that they fund the project that would put an end to flood problems,” he told reporters after handing out aids to flood victims at the district's land office.

On those living illegally by the river reserves, Khalid said the state government would tell them to vacate in an amicable way.

“We cannot ask them to leave just like that. Although it is legally not right, we will them vacate in a nice manner,” he said.

 

On several floodgates that were said to be faulty, he said all 82 of them in the districts were functioning well, except for three or four, which were not “fully working”.

On demands by some residents for their quit rent to be waived for the next five years after they were affected by the recent floods, he said he would check to see if that was possible.

“The state government must study this first. It may affect the garbage collections and other works by MPK if quit rents are waived off immediately,” he said.

Last week the state government had announced that those affected from the floods would receive RM500 to help residents cushion damages they had suffered.

Earlier in another meeting, Taman Bayu Perdana residents' association representative V. Subramaniam had said it was pointless paying the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) when the people continued to face various kinds of problems.

“We urge the Selangor government to advice MPK so that our quit rents are not collected for the next five years.