TELUK INTAN: Projek Rancangan Tebatan Banjir (RTB) di Sungai Perak di sini yang menelan belanja RM80.5 juta dan dijangka siap sepenuhnya pada Mei 2028 mampu mengatasi banjir di bandar Teluk Intan.

Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Nga Kor Ming berkata, projek tersebut bukan sekadar bertindak sebagai penampan banjir tetapi turut menyediakan fasiliti kemudahan awam berkualiti.

Menurutnya, ia merangkumi laluan berbasikal, joging dan restoran terapung di bandar yang terkenal dengan tarikan udang galah itu.

“Projek yang berimpak tinggi ini mampu mengubah sejarah Teluk Intan dan segalanya berjalan dengan lancar kita boleh isytihar Teluk Intan sebagai zon bebas banjir.

“Kosnya RM80.5 juta dan terdapat laluan sepanjang tujuh kilometer  berdepan Sungai Perak,” katanya.

Beliau ditemui pemberita pada Taklimat Projek Pembangunan Lembangan Sungai Bersepadu (PLSB) Sungai Perak Fasa 1 di sini hari ini.

Katanya, terdapat rancangan untuk mewujudkan pelayaran sungai atau river cruise seperti di Kuching, Sarawak untuk menarik pelancong tempatan dan antarabangsa.

“Pada masa depan Teluk Intan bukan sahaja akan terkenal dengan Menara Condong tetapi juga RTB,” katanya. – UTUSAN

KUALA LUMPUR – The long-standing flood problem in Teluk Intan is expected to be significantly eased following the approval of a RM80.5 million allocation for the Teluk Intan Flood Mitigation Development Project (Zone A, Phase 2) under the MADANI Government.

The announcement was made during the project’s groundbreaking ceremony, where Housing and Local Government Minister and Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming said the initiative marks a major milestone in addressing a problem that has affected residents for over 50 years.

“Every time the monsoon season and the phenomenon of high tides occur, many residents of Teluk Intan live in anxiety,” Nga said.

“The people’s concerns are my concerns as well. Therefore, the implementation of this RTB project is an important step to provide long-term protection for residents and ensure that the town of Teluk Intan is free from the threat of floods,” he added.

According to Nga, the project involves the construction of flood mitigation infrastructure stretching 5.65 kilometres, designed to act as a defensive barrier against overflow from the Perak River into the town and surrounding areas.

He noted that while Phase 1 of the project was completed in 2019, several residential areas continued to experience tidal flooding, making Phase 2 essential for a more comprehensive solution.

“With the implementation of Phase 2, this issue can be resolved more comprehensively and effectively. The total length of this RTB will be 7 kilometres,” he said.

The project, which will begin immediately, is scheduled for completion in 2028. Once completed, it is expected to safeguard thousands of residents and enhance the resilience of Teluk Intan’s urban infrastructure while also improving the local living environment through added green and recreational spaces.

Authorities say the project will be closely monitored to ensure timely delivery and adherence to specifications. – June 7, 2026

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should brace for prolonged droughts, extreme heat, water shortages, forest fires and severe haze from this month as the country edges towards a "Super El Nino", climatologists said.

Experts warned that while El Nino is expected to bring hotter and drier conditions, global warming is also contributing to sudden and destructive flash floods.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Professor Emeritus Dr Fredolin Tangang said the extreme climate phenomenon would affect Malaysia until April or May next year, intensifying the recent swings between heatwaves and flash floods.

"We are on the verge of an extreme El Nino. It is imminent, it is huge and we will feel its impacts," he said.

To mitigate escalating climate risks, he said integrating AI into the Malaysian Meteorological Department's existing systems could improve forecasting accuracy and provide earlier warnings of flash floods.

"MetMalaysia already has a system in place to predict thunderstorms and the likelihood of flash floods in Kuala Lumpur.

He also called on local councils to urgently embrace smarter urban planning.

"Since city design heavily influences flash floods, local councils must build sustainably. They have to incorporate long-term climate projections into development planning to build truly flood-resilient neighbuorhoods."

ERRATIC WEATHER FROM JANUARY TO MAY

Between January and May, monsoon rains and violent inter-monsoon thunderstorms triggered widespread flooding, landslides, fallen trees and large-scale displacement across Malaysia.

The first major episode occurred from Jan 8 to 12, when severe flooding struck Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor.

This was followed by torrential rain from Feb 21 to 27 that affected 146 villages in East Malaysia.

From March 9 to 13, persistent rainfall displaced more than 1,650 people in Sabah and Sarawak.

Recurring afternoon storms on April 20 and May 6 submerged parts of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley, including Petaling Jaya, Ampang and Shah Alam, as well as major routes such as Jalan Kuchai Lama, the Bukit Jalil Light Rail Transit station and the Kesas Highway.

On May 8, flash floods and uprooted trees were reported across the Klang Valley, including in Ampang, Sungai Besi, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Gombak.

According to the Irrigation and Drainage Department, convective rainfall exceeding 60mm over a two- to four-hour period may trigger flash floods. Monsoon rain, however, typically lasts longer and can occasionally exceed several hundred millimetres within 24 hours.

Rainfall intensity is classified as light (1-10mm), moderate (11-30mm), heavy (31-60mm) and very heavy (more than 60mm) within a one-hour period.

SUPER EL NINO

Fredolin said Malaysia was on the verge of an extreme El Nino, commonly referred to as a "Super El Nino".

"It is imminent, it is massive and we will be impacted from June until April or May next year.

"Consequently, the likelihood of droughts, hotter conditions, forest fires, local and transboundary haze episodes, water crises and health and food insecurity will increase significantly."

He said local councils should make greater use of climate data, prioritise sustainable construction and incorporate future climate projections into urban planning.

Universiti Malaya meteorologist Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah said rapid development and inadequate drainage, rather than climate change alone, remained the primary causes of chronic flash floods in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

He said the KL-PJ conurbation was built on the Sungai Klang floodplain and was therefore naturally vulnerable to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.

"The flash flood issue, especially in KL and PJ, is more to do with overdevelopment and drainage. Therefore, drainage systems and water retention measures must be deliberately incorporated into urban planning."

He said Putrajaya's surrounding wetlands demonstrated the effectiveness of "soft engineering" and long-term planning.

"The wetlands play an important role in reducing flash floods in Putrajaya. In contrast, KL is more prone to flash floods because its drainage system was not expanded alongside the increase in concreted surfaces, resulting in much higher surface run-off during downpours."

'SPONGE CITY' CONCEPT

Azizan said councils should adopt the "sponge city" concept by integrating forests, green lungs and water retention areas into development plans.

Given the Klang Valley's dense population and concentration of valuable infrastructure, he said government agencies and local councils must account for extreme weather risks, including torrential rain and intense heatwaves, in future planning.

"Because many cities in the Klang Valley grew organically rather than by design, a stricter and more integrated master plan is now required to introduce green, wetland and forested spaces into the existing concrete jungle.

"Soft engineering solutions, as demonstrated in Putrajaya, prove that predictive planning is far better than reactive planning for extreme weather."

Azizan said studies showed that extreme rainfall events had become more frequent, particularly on the East Coast.

However, he said the West Coast had recorded a declining trend in 99th percentile rainfall.

PREPARE FOR DRY SPELL

He said the recent heavy downpours across the West Coast were well within expectations for the April-May inter-monsoon period.

"The next peak episodes of heavy rainfall are projected during the October-November inter-monsoon period and the early stages of the Northeast Monsoon, lasting until December in Peninsular Malaysia and extending into January and February in East Malaysia."

Azizan said Malaysia must prepare for a prolonged dry spell, with climate models indicating an 82 per cent probability of an El Nino event developing between May and July, rising to 96 per cent from December through February next year.

"Expect a drier-than-normal season for our region, with perhaps 10 to 20 per cent less rainfall from now onwards.

"While this drier climate reduces the risk of major catastrophic flooding during the upcoming Northeast Monsoon, it opens the door to other environmental hazards.

"The drier weather may result in more heatwaves from May to July and when Indonesia's burning season begins from July to September, haze could return."

KOTA BHARU, June 7 — The Thai Cabinet’s approval of the Sungai Golok Basin development project opens up avenues for closer cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand in addressing flood risks, water security and ecosystem restoration in the border areas of both countries.

National Security Council (NSC) Director-General Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said Malaysia also intends to implement related developments in the area, though the matter is still in the planning stages.

He added that the government will continue to communicate with Thailand to ensure that any development planning involving the Sungai Golok Basin can be coordinated, given that it involves the interests of both nations.

“For that purpose, we will constantly remain in contact with the Thai government because it involves the interests of both countries,” he told reporters after an NSC meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

The Thai Cabinet was previously reported to have approved a joint environmental project with Malaysia aimed at reducing flood risks, enhancing water security and restoring the ecosystem in the Sungai Golok Basin.

The initiative has received US$4 million (RM15.9 million) in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and will be implemented over a 48-month period with the support of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The project was jointly developed by Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources and Malaysia’s Department of Irrigation and Drainage to strengthen transboundary water resource management.

According to Raja Nushirwan, the development of the Sungai Golok Basin is not only crucial for flood and environmental management but also carries implications for the well-being of residents and the development of border areas in both countries.

The project also encompasses the development of a shared database, flood and drought risk assessments, as well as the preparation of a joint strategic action plan for the river basin.

Meanwhile, he added that the government is also ironing out the details of economic initiatives to assist communities affected by the demolition of 91 illegal jetties along Sungai Golok, including those in Rantau Panjang and Tumpat.

He said the initiative is still in the detailing phase and will be implemented once coordination between the federal and state governments is finalised. — Bernama