Shah Alam paying the price for deforestation, green group says on floods

The flash floods in Shah Alam, Selangor, yesterday, which damaged property and displaced a number of residents, are the price of deforestation in the area, an environmental group said today.

Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) said residents had raised concerns since 2020, particularly over forest clearings at Bukit Cerakah which has been degazetted as a forest reserve.

Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan added that the 174ha Shah Alam community forest, one of the remaining pockets of lowland rainforest in Shah Alam, faced continuous threats of development.

“Forests are natural flood protection systems. They absorb rainfall, regulate water runoff and stabilise hillsides. Replace these natural catchments with concrete and accelerated development, and communities downstream become increasingly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

“Peka warned the Selangor government of precisely these dangers in June 2025. Yet, 17 months later, Shah Alam is flooding again. How many more warnings must be ignored?” he said in a statement.

Rajesh urged the Selangor government to impose an immediate moratorium on forest clearings and hillside developments in “environmentally sensitive areas”.

He also called for the Shah Alam community forest and the ecologically significant parts of Bukit Cerakah to be permanently gazetted as forest reserves.

“Peka demands that the state government establish an independent public inquiry into Shah Alam’s recurring floods, including the contribution of deforestation and development, and disclose all development approvals and environmental assessments at the relevant forest and water catchment areas.

“The Selangor government cannot continue sacrificing forests in the name of development and then express sympathy when communities are submerged. Every tree felled, every hillside cleared and every catchment destroyed increases the price ordinary residents are forced to pay,” he said.

Flash floods hit parts of the Klang Valley yesterday evening following torrential rain, with Shah Alam among the worst affected.

The worst-hit area was Kampung Melayu Subang, where the water level reached 18.77m above sea level, submerging cars and affecting 92 homes.