Commit To Protecting Kl S Existing Flood Ponds Fahmi Tells Shahidan

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(From left) Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh speaking to reporters outside the Sentul district police headquarters today. (Fahmi Fadzil Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil has called on federal territories minister Shahidan Kassim to publicly commit not to sell any more of the flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur found to have been alienated for development.
The 2019 Auditor-General’s Report released in September stated that six of 15 flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur were alienated for development projects from 2015 to 2020, with Fahmi on Wednesday questioning who was responsible for approving these transfers.
Earlier today, Fahmi lodged a police report with Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh 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 these transfers of ownership.
Speaking to the media after leaving the Sentul district police headquarters, Fahmi said he disagreed with Shahidan’s stance on Thursday that certain MPs had got their facts wrong about the sale of the flood retention ponds.
Fahmi said all of the information was from the 2019 Auditor-General’s Report.
“If the minister asks us to check our facts, we’re only asking one thing of him.
“Commit yourself publicly to not selling any of the other flood retention ponds in KL.
“We don’t know if there are plans (to develop) any of the other flood retention ponds on the list or those in other areas.
“I don’t have any detailed information on this.”
He also hoped Shahidan 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 specifically to discuss the massive floods which swept the country last month.
Fahmi, the PKR communications director, noted that these transfers went ahead despite the director-general of the department of irrigation and drainage stating the ponds should be reserved as such and not transferred to any third parties.
Among the projects these flood retention ponds have been alienated for include mixed development projects, service apartments, affordable housing schemes, hawker centres and recreation parks.
The six flood retention ponds are Batu (71.6ha), Batu 4 1/2 (0.9ha), Delima (8.1ha), Nanyang (20.1ha), Taman Desa (17.6ha) and Taman Wahyu (25.4ha).
These six flood retention ponds total 143.7ha, which is 54% of the size of the 15 ponds on the list (263.7ha).
Noting the large size of these ponds, Yeoh was especially disappointed that the Batu and Batu 4 1/2 ponds had been earmarked as, among others, an affordable housing project.
“Residents who can’t afford to buy houses are to be given homes in flood-prone areas,” she said.
“We need to give them dignity. Stop giving them ponds to be made into homes, and then when it floods, we give them RM1,000 (in flood aid). That’s not enough.
“KL residents want to know if these development projects will be cancelled and the drainage system will be restored so Kuala Lumpur can handle more rain. We cannot afford to have another (flood) wave.” - FMT

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