Menteri Besar’s Programs

SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The state government will start the redevelopment of the Klang river, including cleaning and upgrading, in March 2014.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the first effort which is to be taken seriously is the cleaning of the river and currently, there are several planning to be initiated in 2014.

Abdul Khalid said that the state government should first wait and examine the development of the Klang river because many have come forward to help in the upgrading, including several companies from Korea and China.

“I think that this development would likely occur in March 2014. Currently there are several work papers, (and) our first effort is to clean up the Klang river because there is a lot of garbage in it,” he said.

Abdul Khalid said this at a press conference after attending the Selangor State Headman (Penghulu), Traditional Village Heads and Members of Village Development and Security (JKKK) Assembly here at the Silver Jubilee Hall in the State Secretariat Building today.

However, Abdul Khalid said that the conditions imposed on the governments cannot be met by the state government for several reasons.

“Too many people want to help us fix the Kang river, including some from abroad. But they do not really want to develop the Klang river, but they are dreaming of the land next to the area, so I have postponed it.

“If I consented to it, I fear that we will not have the land. They want to beautify the Klang river so that is anyone wants to go to Kuala Lumpur from Port Klang to Masjid Jamek can do so by boat.

“However, to fund this development, the land next to the river would have to be handed over to them. The village people would be angry with me,” he said.

Abdul Khalid said that the state government is waiting for cleaning and upgrading of the river in Kuala Lumpur to finish before starting the Klang river clean-up efforts.

“I will wait for Kuala Lumpur to upgrade the upper part of the river. If we start cleaning, dirt from that area would reach here. But plans are ready and next year, it can begin,” he said.

PETALING JAYA, 7 Nov: The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) remains focused in efforts to develop the public transportation infrastructure as well as efficient and integrated traffic management to ensure that the locals are provided with comfort and facilities.

Petaling Jaya Mayor, Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad, said that MBPJ, in the Selangor Budget 2014, will propose for the state government to allocate RM1 million in providing free bus service.

Alinah said that the service involves access between the city centre, health centres, welfare offices, government offices and public educational institutes with a public transport terminal and walkways in addition to the existing community bus and also transit vans for people with disabilities (PWDs).

“In addition, MBPJ has prepared a five-kilometre (km) bicycle path encompassing the council area which was built in addition to the existing 5.6km.

“Four ‘park and ride’ facilities offering 1,911 car park bays at the existing Light Rail Transit (LRT) station will also be built,” he said.

Alinah said this in the ‘Transit Oriented Development (TOD): Towards a Livable and Sustainable City’ seminar which was attended by 300 participants, including residents’ committee, neighbourhood watch, students of higher learning institutions, consultants, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Public Works Department at the Royale Bintang Damansara Hotel this morning.

She said that MBPJ has also started a pilot project of limiting parking hours to two hours at Sunway Damansara Town Centre on 1 October.

“Works to make the street at Section 52 into a one-way street will also begin in early 2013 to create more space for alternative transportation such as pedestrian and bicycle paths that are more safe and comfortable.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, when inaugurating the seminar, said that the city of Petaling Jaya is not only booming, but it has complete infrastructure, thus making the city comfortable for residents to build a life.

“This can The situation can only be maintained by implementing plans to boost infrastructure development and public transport in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.