More than 10 bodies found in Klang River during widening works, says company MD

The Star

16-06-2025

SHAH ALAM: More than 10 bodies, including those of infants, have been discovered during the ongoing Klang River Flood Mitigation Project, which is actively being implemented under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, Sinar Harian reports.
Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin told the Malay language daily that the discovery of bodies is not an isolated incident, occurring almost monthly since the dredging and widening works on the river began on Nov 1, 2022.
"So far, we have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and Fire and Rescue Department for further investigation.
"In fact, we once found three bodies consecutively," he said after visiting the SMG Flood Mitigation Project site in Zone 8 at Kota Kemuning on Monday (June 16).
He told Sinar Harian that LLSB, as the main developer of the project under SMG, also faces significant challenges as some of the bodies found include infants, making this one of the most unexpected aspects of the project implementation.
In addition to the discovery of bodies, the implementation team also encountered severe pollution, having found various types of waste and rubbish, including refrigerators, lorry tyres, beds, mattresses, sofas, and even motorcycles at the bottom of the Klang River.
"I myself do not understand how a refrigerator could end up in the river," he said, describing the existing level of pollution as serious and challenging for the dredging works.
This mitigation project is part of a holistic effort under SMG to increase the Klang River's capacity by up to 40%, as well as to restore the ecosystem and improve the water quality to Water Quality Index (WQI) Class III and above.
According to Syaiful Azmen, this project also supports the Shah Alam Sustainable Urban Drainage (SASUD) initiative and the development of a water treatment plant at Sungai Rasau, in efforts to make the Klang River a source of raw water that can be treated into drinking water.
"To date, more than 918,936 cubic metres of dredged materials such as sediment, rubbish, and rocks have been removed from the riverbed," he told Sinar Harian.
The project also involves widening the river from 50m–60m to 80m–100m, strengthening the banks using methods such as earth bunds, sheet piles, geo bags, and flood walls, and employing the latest technology in flood mitigation systems.
Currently, the project is actively being implemented in Shah Alam, covering Zones 6, 7, and 8, including areas such as Alam Impian, Section 24, Section 17, and Kota Kemuning, identified as high flood-risk locations.
LLSB assures that disruptions to the local community are minimal through measures such as alternative routes, noise and dust monitoring, and early notification to residents.
"This project not only increases river capacity and prevents flash floods but also restores the dignity of the Klang River as a valuable water resource and sustainable ecosystem," he stated.
He further added that the project implementation will continue in other areas along the Klang River based on flood risk priority and population density.
"Our challenges are not insignificant, but we are confident that this integrated approach represents the future of water management and flood mitigation in Selangor," he added.