Sg Klang rehabilitation project showing results

The cutter suction dredger cleaning the riverbed in Sungai Klang. More than 900,000 cubic metres of materials have been cleared away so far. —LOW BOON TAT/ The Star
SINCE November 2022, approximately 918,937 cubic metres of materials have been dredged from the Sungai Klang riverbed as part of Selangor's flood mitigation project.
These efforts have significantly improved water quality and increased the river's capacity, said the company spearheading the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) project.
Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the dredged materials comprised general waste, sedimentation and rocks.
Landasan Lumayan is a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated.
The Maritime Gateway project, spanning 56km, aims to revitalise Sungai Klang and its surroundings.
It is a state government initiative to overcome floods in Selangor.
Speaking at a press conference at the project site in Kota Kemuning, Syaiful said SMG involved deepening and widening the river, alongside reinforcing the embankment and riverbank.
These actions are expected to enhance water flow, preserve the river's ecosystem and improve water quality.
Syaiful says Sungai Klang water quality is now at Class 3.
'The main objective is to increase the river's capacity to manage more water during heavy rain,' he said.
He noted that clearing efforts had increased the river's capacity by 18%. The target is 40%.
According to Landasan Lumayan, the project is divided into four blocks, with current focus on Block 3 – a 21km stretch in high-risk areas of Shah Alam, including Alam Impian (Zone 6), Section 24 (Zone 7) and Kota Kemuning (Zone 8).
Work on Block 1, covering a 10km stretch in Klang (Zones 1 and 2), had been completed.
Work on blocks 2 and 4 have yet to commence.
Syaiful said the river would be widened from 50m or 60m to 80m or 100m, depending on location needs for smooth water flow.
Dredging has been extended to depths of up to three metres, compared to previous depths of one to two metres.
'With increased capacity and reinforced riverbanks, rainwater can flow efficiently, reducing the risk of overflow or flash floods in Shah Alam and surrounding areas,' he added.
Syaiful said the project was showing results as Sungai Klang's water quality had improved.
'At the beginning of the project, the water was classified as Class 5 (indicates heavily polluted water).
'Now, based on our sensors along the river, we are recording Class 3 water quality at about 69% of the time, which is a great improvement.
'There are 25 industrial areas, 13 tributaries and 10 million people having direct access to the river.
'We have to be realistic in our expectations, so our target is to make sure that the water quality is at least Class 3, which is suitable for general use,' he said.
Syaiful said some of the challenges faced at the site included high amounts of waste besides deep mud, which complicated dredging works.
However, he said the work was on schedule and was expected to be completed by 2026.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Star

2 hours ago

• The Star

Meaningful ‘pain' that must be borne

Funding the nation: Money is needed for public services, education, and healthcare reforms, while new challenges such as artificial intelligence technology and digitalisation also demand the disbursement of funds. — 123rf TAXATION in any form and name is never popular, and the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST) is no exception. It is unpopular, full stop. Nobody likes taxes but there is no such thing as looking for a better time in the future to impose the taxes for the government to increase revenue. Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters. RM12.33/month RM8.63/month Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters. Free Trial For new subscribers only Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates! Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.

The Star

12 hours ago

• The Star

Retirement gap hits women hard

All ears: Participants at the ISWC 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Women aged 65 and above receive 26% less retirement income compared to men, says World Economic Forum longevity economy lead Haleh Nazeri. This disparity is part of the 'triple storm' that women everywhere face – they tend to live longer but have lower savings because they had to take time off work to be caregivers. 'When it comes to the longevity economy, women have to face triple threats because we live longer, make less money, and have less savings and retirement funds. 'But we are also the main caregivers, so we leave the workforce, resulting in less income. This is a critical issue,' she said at the International Social Wellbeing Conference 2025, 'Living to a Hundred: Are We Prepared?' yesterday. It is because of these reasons that employers should not discount women job applicants who have gaps in their resumes, she added. 'I think everyone who wants to work must be given an opportunity, especially caregivers who have left the workforce. 'They should be given the benefit of the doubt for gaps in their resume. When you have that gap, many people think it is bad, but actually, they have taken time off to care for their families. 'So give these women the chance and you will see how resi­lient and enthusiastic they are coming back to work,' she said. The triple storm faced by women was among the challenges facing the world and future workforce, Haleh said, adding that it was time societies rethink the current labour and retirement systems which were designed for a 70-year life, she added. 'We also need new innovations that are intergenerational, sustainable and inclusive of people who were left behind when the first-time pension and retirement systems were created. 'We must also build a financial resilience cushion for key life events – both planned and unplanned – that can push indivi­duals to financial hardship and in extreme cases, the brink of poverty.' For instance, companies not only should provide care-giving facilities not just for children but also for older adults. 'Many employees want this as they live longer and face certain difficulties,' she said. In her presentation, 'The Longevity Economy: Lessons and Opportunities in Living Longer', she said the world must change the narrative when it comes to thinking about longevity. The only way forward was to think about longevity through an intergenerational lens and consider what all generations can achieve together. Also, it was time to view ageing not as a burden but an advantage, like a new demographic that could drive future growth, she said. Haleh added that companies should not discount any job applicant due to their age.

Focus Malaysia

a day ago

• Focus Malaysia

PMX's decree to stop using imported stuff at gov't functions defies commonsense, gets bashed

'ANWAR seems to have really lost the plot – that's not just my personal observation but also the sentiment echoed across several of my circles,' observed industrialist/thinker khalid karim STEMKITA (@khalidkarim in a recent post on X referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'Even some of his once-loyal supporters are expressing deep disappointment. I'm disappointed but still hoping he can turn it around.' Anwar seems to have really lost the plot — that's not just my personal observation, but also the sentiment echoed across several of my circles. Even some of his once-loyal supporters are expressing deep disappointment. I am disappointed but still hoping he can turn it around — khalid karim STEMKITA (@khalidkarim) June 19, 2025 Without a shadow of doubt, PMX seems to be getting a lot of flak lately for a series of pronouncements that not only seem to defy logic but detached or out-of-touch with man-on-the-street Malaysians. First, Anwar who doubled up as the Finance Minister was chastised for referring to GST as 'general services tax' in wanting to impose 'a little more tax' on avocado which implies imported fruits as part of Malaysia's expanded Sales and Services Tax (SST) which takes effect on July 1. His latest decree? For official government functions to stop using imported food items in a bid to promote the use of local products. Anwar has directed all government departments to stop using imported goods, especially food, at official events in a bid to promote local — The Star (@staronline) June 20, 2025 For this, the reformist Madani government commander-in-chief found himself widely ridiculed for his instruction with many of his subjects pouring scorn on the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman's eureka moment. Many commenters on The Star's X feed wittily pointed out that even basic food items such as mee siam or cekodok pisang (literally, 'fried banana balls') would contain imported stuff. A very unimpressed Aunty Ana (@Ana_makhzan) counselled PMX to try doing some research before making such lofty pronouncements (in the future). '@anwaribrahim, @fahmi_fadzil. I hope this is a joke. Ask @MSabu_Official (for) we import onions, garlic and dried chillies, hence there're imported material in mihun goreng (fried rice vermicelli),' lectured the commenter. 'Even the cekodok made from local banana contains imported wheat flour. Next time do verify first before issuing an instruction.' One commenter even accused PMX of targeting Chinese fruit importers with this decree while another suggested that tapioca should be made a staple at parliamentary functions in accordance with the call by Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to resort to ubi kayu than to merely rely on rice. Other commenters chided PMX for not leading by example. Just use local marques instead of fancy luxury car models or even to stop barring the use of Evian mineral water or to start serving musang king durian at government events. One commenter observed that this was the same modus operandi implemented when Anwar was the finance minister during the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis. The response was no less scathing on the X feed of Malaysiakini. Anwar larang makanan import dalam acara rasmi — Malaysiakini (BM) (@mkini_bm) June 20, 2025 One commenter wryly observed that there would be no more buah kurma (dates) which is almost standard at government buka puasa functions during the fasting month. This news was also seized upon by a few commenters as a stick to beat PMX on the scarcity of local rice issue. One commenter came up with a brilliant alternate suggestion to save costs – just have fewer official functions while another wished the Madani administration best of luck given most local fruits at seasonal while those which are not such as bananas, guavas and pomelos have limited production (or even costlier). The temperature is definitely rising with the disgruntled comments seem to indicate. Has the long struggle to claim Putrajaya to be defined by a tenure scarred by the costs-of-living crisis, exacerbated by the Madani administration's numerous taxes? Judging by the tone of many commenters, it would appear PMX's popularity has taken yet another beating. Nobody said it was an easy job to be the #1 man in the country but perhaps it is advisable for PMX to rely on scripted text than to speak off the cuff on unfamiliar or complicated subjects. – June 21, 2025 Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook