Yeoh: 18-year gazettement delay led to loss of flood retention pond land

For 18 years, land designated for flood retention ponds in Kuala Lumpur remained unaltered, ultimately being seized by developers who pocketed RM214 million in premiums. This issue was brought to light during a debate in the Dewan Rakyat, where Hannah Yeoh, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), elucidated the delay.

The reservation for these lands was initially approved on June 19, 1998, but it was never officially gazetted, allowing them to be appropriated by developers on October 9, 2016, when the Federal Territories Land Working Committee revoked the approval. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had conducted an investigation into the land alienation but found insufficient grounds to establish a case.

In response to P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu), Yeoh addressed his inquiry about the government's desire to expedite the gazetting of similar flood retention ponds, as well as the process to be followed. Additionally, Yeoh shared that Kuala Lumpur's flood hotspots had dwindled from 30 to 14 over the past three years, with the City Hall now aiming to further reduce this number by four locations.

This decrease was achieved through intensified flood mitigation measures, such as drainage upkeep, desilting operations, and the erection of stormwater retention ponds. Yeoh's remarks were made in response to a supplementary question from Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim-Bandar Baharu), who expressed concern over development approvals granted in flood-prone areas following findings by the Public Accounts Committee.

She added that City Hall would no longer issue planning permissions for developments near flood retention ponds unless all technical requirements were satisfied, thereby eliminating conditional approvals or the provision of a "no objection" statement.