NST Leader: No more temporary fixes — Malaysia needs a drainage overhaul
THE seasons are unchanging; the hot, dry season is always followed by the wet season. What changes is the country’s landscape: verdant lands where forests and crops coexist will increasingly give way to urbanisation as the pace of development quickens.
Malaysia's landscape transforms from verdant forests and crops to urban environments as development accelerates, leading to more paved and concreted cityscapes. These urban settings lack the natural capacity to absorb rainfall, making them susceptible to flooding during the wet season. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye argues that Malaysia should move beyond temporary fixes and focus on a long-term flood mitigation strategy, rather than repeatedly clearing drains during monsoon season.
The country's ageing drainage infrastructure and inadequate systems in many towns and cities require a comprehensive overhaul. While preparedness measures are important, they should complement long-term solutions. Drainage capacity must keep pace with population growth, urbanisation, and heavy rainfall episodes, and uncontrolled development must be addressed holistically.
Better coordination among federal, state, and local levels is necessary, with clear responsibilities, timelines, and funding for flood prevention projects. The economic and social costs of repeated flooding necessitate sustained investment in flood prevention to reduce and eventually eliminate the need for recovery efforts.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
