Act on conversion of flood ponds for development, Umno man tells govt

 

Various political parties have raised questions over the 2019 Auditor-General’s Report on the Kuala Lumpur City Development Plan that showed six water retention ponds had been converted into sites for development projects.

PETALING JAYA: An Umno man is asking the government to act against Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for allowing the conversion of several water retention ponds in the capital into sites for development projects.

Federal Territories Umno Youth information chief Wan Agyl Wan Hassan referred to the findings of the 2019 Auditor-General’s Report on the Kuala Lumpur City Development Plan that six water retention ponds had been converted into sites for development projects.

“The findings are shocking and heads must roll over flooding in Kuala Lumpur. Based on this report, the mayor had given ‘planning permission’ 943 times despite being contrary to the overall plan.

“This is unacceptable and the government must take action on these findings and also get the responsible persons charged,” said Wan Agyl in a press statement today.

He also urged the government to set an example by ensuring that DBKL discontinues this “unethical practice”.

Yesterday, FMT reported that Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil had called upon federal territories minister Shahidan Kassim to publicly commit himself to not selling any more of the flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur for development purposes.

He made the statement after lodging a police report together with Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh at the Sentul district police headquarters to push for an investigation into which parties were involved in the alienation of these flood retention ponds and whether any abuse of power or other irregularities had occurred during the transfers of ownership.

Fahmi also said he disagreed with Shahidan’s stance that certain MPs had gotten their facts wrong about the sale of the flood retention ponds.

According to him, all the information related to the sale were in the 2019 Auditor-General’s Report, released in September last year.

Fahmi also hoped the minister would provide an explanation on the matter in the Dewan Rakyat if Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob agrees to Pakatan Harapan’s suggestion that a special sitting of Parliament be held to discuss the massive floods which swept the country last month. - FMT