Anwar orders Sungai Buloh, Sungai Damansara flood mitigation projects to be expedited

SUNGAI BULOH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has ordered work on the Sungai Buloh and Sungai Damansara flood mitigation projects to be expedited following repeated flooding in the area.

He said the two projects, costing nearly RM700 million and already approved by the federal government, must proceed without delay to minimise the risk of further flooding.

"Our priority is to speed things up. I have instructed that work such as river dredging, for which contracts have already been awarded, be expedited.

"What concerns me is that this area has been flooded two or three times. We need to widen the rivers, build additional retention ponds and carry out comprehensive flood mitigation measures," he told reporters after visiting the flood relief centre at the Siantan hall in Kampung Melayu Subang today.

Anwar said he would obtain a progress report on the federal government's flood mitigation projects this Friday, while Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari is expected to present an update on state-level projects at the state executive council meeting on the same day.

The Sungai Buloh and Sungai Damansara flood mitigation projects, comprising two phases, were previously approved with a total allocation of nearly RM700 million and are currently between 30 and 60 per cent complete.

On assistance for affected residents, Anwar gave his assurances that the government would provide additional aid to help ease the burden on flood victims.

He said the amount of assistance would be determined in consultation with the state government, taking into account each family's circumstances, particularly the extent of damage to their homes caused by the floods.

Yesterday, floods hit several areas in Subang and Sungai Buloh, including Jalan Jati, Kampung Melayu Subang and Kampung Kubu Gajah, with floodwaters reaching depths of between 0.3 and 0.6m.