{
  "id": 18330459,
  "title": "Shah Alam at risk of major floods without alternative waterways, says Khir Toyo",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/shah-alam-at-risk-of-major-floods-without-alternative-waterways-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T15:32:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/11/1571787/shah-alam-risk-major-floods-without-alternative-waterways-says-khir"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kuala Lumpur - Former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo warns that Shah Alam is still at risk of severe flooding without constructing alternative waterways, according to a statement released today. The former premier cites the need to divert excess rainwater from present rivers due to rapid development in nearby areas and Shah Alam's lower elevation compared to neighboring regions. Khir Toyo highlights a detailed study on a proposed Canal City flood mitigation project, which he had initiated while in office, claiming it could hold hundreds of thousands of liters of water and safeguard Shah Alam from major floods for up to a century. The project entailed constructing an 18km canal connecting Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat, also incorporating two former mines as water retention areas before the stored water is channeled to the sea during low tide. Residential areas were also planned along the canal, surrounded by rivers or smaller canals. However, the project was ultimately canceled and the land sold to developers. According to Khir Toyo, Shah Alam is located in a low-lying valley compared to surrounding areas like Sungai Buloh, Rawang, and Petaling Jaya. During heavy rain coinciding with high tides, there's an increased risk of major flooding when sea levels are higher than river levels, causing water to accumulate in low-lying areas of Shah Alam. He further points out that the rapid development in Kuala Selangor, Sungai Buloh, Rawang, and Petaling Jaya has intensified water runoff into low-lying areas of Shah Alam, particularly in Kampung Melayu Subang, Batu Tiga, and Sri Muda. Unless the government provides outlets for rainwater, such as retention ponds or storage rivers capable of holding hundreds of millions of liters of water, Shah Alam's risk of major flooding persists, even without heavy rainfall in the area.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Shah Alam remains at risk of major flooding unless alternative waterways are built to divert excess rainwater from existing rivers, says former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}