Flood levels in Taman Sri Muda had receded at a slower rate due to a "jammed" sluice or gate intended to control the flow of water into the nearest river, according to state infrastructure and agriculture committee chairperson Izham Hashim.
When contacted, Izham, however, dismissed a viral social media post that questioned an alleged delay by managing authorities to open the sluice.
"In Sri Muda, there was a lot of water, right? Yes, it was jammed but not for any ordinary reason.
"During the flood there were strong currents, the sluice was hit with debris, logs and others. Its shaft became crooked.
"So it was not (jammed) due to lack of maintenance, but from damages during the flood," he told Malaysiakini.
The Pandan Indah assemblyperson said this when asked for a response to claims by an individual who recorded a video nearby the sluice and pointed out a difference in water levels within and outside the facility.
On Facebook, another individual also posted several photographs of the closed gate, attributing it to flood levels in Sri Muda.
Izham lamented that the individuals who questioned alleged delays in the opening of the gate had failed to verify with the Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department on its operations.
"They spent day and night taking turns cranking manually. I told them, if we need to get a new one then we'll get a new one.
"In the meantime, to speed up the pumping we have installed four additional pumps near the sluice," he added.
Taman Sri Muda was among the worst-hit areas in Selangor, alongside Klang and Hulu Langat, with most houses as of this morning still filled with ankle-deep water - down from record levels of over six feet high.
Thousands of residents were displaced after record rainfall from Friday to early Sunday morning.
In a related development, Bernama reported that the process of pumping floodwaters out of Taman Sri Muda is expected to be completed tomorrow.
“If 80 percent could be drained out in 17 hours (today), logically, the remaining 20 percent can be cleared by tomorrow morning if it doesn't rain,” Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Abd Latiff Ahmad was quoted as saying. - Mkini
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