Latest news with #RiverofLife
New Straits Times
29-04-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Cradle of life or filth?
About 10,000 years ago, ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Harappan and China's early dynasties presciently fortified their great rivers as cradles of their civilisations. The Tigris–Euphrates, the Nile, the Indus and the Yellow River were instrumental in the complex tapestry of human culture, nurturing technologies and advancements that still reverberates. These philosophies influenced modern-day legislation: New Zealand passed a 2017 law that protected the Whanganui River as a "spiritual and physical entity". Stunning is Ecuador's 2011 constitutional embedding of the "Rights of Nature" provision to protect its Vilcabamba River. Conservation advocate and writer Robert Macfarlane not only averred this act as a "small country with a vast moral imagination", he even imagined healthy rivers as a "alive, some vast and unknowable other life-way". On the flip side, the rivers of Malaysia, the grand rivers of Kuala Lumpur to be specific, are on the brink as waterways are dirtied, polluted, wasted and neglected. As The Guardian put it recently, rivers worldwide have been "dammed, poisoned, reduced to servitude, erased from the map". Malaysia is a sad part of this fact. The Muddy Confluence, as the city was known in two centuries of inception, owed its historic growth to the confluence of Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak. These main waterways into the city are supported by the tributaries Sungai Batu, Sungai Kerayong and Sungai Damansara. Post-industrialisation, the rivers have become dumping grounds of every known civilisational foibles: human, domestic and toxic waste, factory effluents, household rubbish and an unsavoury mix of rotting food and vehicle oil. The pollution points to hundreds of illegal structures that aggravate riverbank erosion and flash floods. Temporary and permanent buildings, car wash centres, food stalls and storage sheds pockmark river reserves and damage riverbanks. Pollutants have either killed the natural habitat or spawned flesh-eating monsters that may date back to the Jurassic age. In recent years, 47 per cent of Malaysian rivers suffer from serious water system degradation, mostly in Selangor, which registered almost 50 per cent of all water supply problems. Rivers as dumping grounds are caused by population growth, poor waste management and need for convenient and cost-effective disposal on top of poor regulations and enforcement. Kuala Lumpur gets hit with regular flash floods because of stormwater overflows during rainfall that forces overwhelmed wastewater treatment plants to release untreated sewage into the rivers, adding more pathogens and pollutants. Adding to the city's woes is the River of Life project to clean and beautify rivers, which has fallen into disrepute 13 years on, burdened by a RM4 billion investment. It's high time we emulated progressive nations' river conservation and protection philosophies through legislation or rescue programmes. The ways and means to preserve, conserve and protect our rivers have always been there. All the government needs to do is to resolutely enforce them.
The Star
26-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Breathing new life into KL's heritage districts
KUALA LUMPUR: The city is embarking on one of its most ambitious urban renewal projects to date with the launch of the Warisan Kuala Lumpur (Warisan KL) programme. This culture-led revitalisation effort is poised to reimagine the city's historic heart as a thriving hub of heritage, creativity and inclusive growth. Spearheaded by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and supported by partners including Khazanah Nasional and its subsidiary, Think City, Warisan KL brings together 10 pilot flagship projects aimed at breathing new life into the city's heritage districts. According to Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif ( pic ), the initiative spans a 20km² focus area across key civic, heritage and commercial precincts, aligns with the Kuala Lumpur Plan 2040 and builds upon earlier development frameworks, including the 2014 and 2020 local plans. Key components include the revitalisation and restoration of iconic areas like the Masjid Jamek Enclave, Dataran Merdeka Heritage Area, Carcosa Seri Negara, and Merdeka 118, and transforming the historic marketplace – Trade Quadrant – into cultural and commercial hubs for modern entrepreneurs, legacy trades and creatives. The Warisan KL initiative also revisits and integrates earlier efforts like the River of Life project, enhancing its public appeal through improved infrastructure, signage and storytelling, while inviting youth and community stakeholders to co-create the space. 'The programme's long-term vision is to create a city that is not only livable, but lovable – a place where the future is shaped by the past, and where development is rooted in identity, memory and pride. 'It is more than urban renewal, it is a national agenda for cultural and creative resurgence, poised to position Kuala Lumpur as a leading creative and cultural capital in the region and on the global stage,' said Maimunah, who chairs the Warisan KL working committee, in an interview with Bernama yesterday. She said the initial investment for the Warisan KL programme includes RM600mil announced in the federal budget, but additional allocations are expected to come from private sector investments. 'The initiative will be rolled out in phases, with several short-term and quick-win projects already underway in 2025. Full implementation is expected to span the next five to 10 years, with sustainability, community participation and creative innovation at its core,' she added.
Barnama
25-04-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Warisan KL Sets To Transform The Metropolitan Into Creative, Cultural Powerhouse
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur is embarking on one of its most ambitious urban renewal projects to date with the launch of the Warisan Kuala Lumpur (Warisan KL) programme today. This culture-led revitalisation effort is poised to reimagine the city's historic heart as a thriving hub of heritage, creativity, and inclusive growth. Spearheaded by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and supported by strategic partners including Think City and Khazanah Nasional, Warisan KL brings together 10 pilot flagship projects aimed at breathing new life into the city's heritage districts. According to City Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the initiative spans a 20km² focus area across key civic, heritage, and commercial precincts, aligns with the Kuala Lumpur Plan 2040 and builds upon earlier development frameworks, including the 2014 and 2020 local plans. Key components include the revitalisation and restoration of iconic areas like the Masjid Jamek Enclave, Dataran Merdeka Heritage Area, Carcosa Seri Negara and Merdeka 118, and transforming the historic marketplace Trade Quadrant into cultural and commercial hubs for modern entrepreneurs, legacy trades, and creatives. The Warisan KL initiative also revisits and integrates earlier efforts like the River of Life project, enhancing its public appeals through improved infrastructure, signage and storytelling, all while inviting youth and community stakeholders to co-create the space. 'The programme's long-term vision is to create a city that is not only livable, but lovable - a place where the future is shaped by the past, and where development is rooted in identity, memory, and pride. 'It is more than urban renewal, it is a national agenda for cultural and creative resurgence, poised to position Kuala Lumpur as a leading creative and cultural capital in the region and on the global stage,' said Maimunah, who is also the Chair of Warisan KL Working Committee. She said the initial investment for the Warisan KL programme includes RM600 million announced in the federal budget, but additional allocations are expected to come from private sector investment.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
River of Life Church in Jacksonville ready for Easter services
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — River of Life Church in Jacksonville brings many people together on a weekly basis. Friday, Apr. 18, 2025, they celebrated Good Friday together with worship music and fellowship in preparation for Easter Sunday and the church's Easter services. 'What we do is present the gospel. One of the things that we do is challenge people every Sunday, and at every service, to make a decision so that it's not just a pep talk,' River of Life Senior Pastor Chris Phillips said. 'It's not just a way to be encouraged in your business or your personal life, but it's what are you going to do with Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for your sins on the cross.' The church will have a 9 A.M. service and an 11:15 A.M. service on Easter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
