Kinrara residents fight pond development

A SIGNATURE campaign to petition for the cancellation of the proposed development at the Kampung Bohol flood retention pond kicked off last Saturday in Puchong.

At the Taman Kinrara 1 morning market, 300 signatures were collected in just two hours.

Save Kg Bohol Flood Retention Pond pro-tem committee secretary Chin Chong Men, 76, said the campaign was the first of many more to come in the next few weeks until the government heeds their concerns.

Chin said committee members also went around Taman Kinrara to hang signs requesting Subang Jaya MP Wong Chen and Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han to help achieve this goal.

“We chose this area because this is one of the neighbourhoods that is hardest hit when it floods. Just ask anyone who lives in Kinrara Court; they will share about how much they have suffered financially and emotionally in the last three years each time it rains,” Chin said.

Committee chairman Saniah Arabian, 64, who lives in Taman Kinrara, said: “I have been a flood victim three times, and I know what I am talking about when I say this project is a bad idea.”

Kinrara Court resident Muniandy Muthusamy, 70, said he had lost thousands of ringgit in the floods.

“Fed up! That is how I feel; we must stop all this development,” he said after signing the petition.

Residents Winston Sathya, 68, and S. Rajakumari, 70, also from Kinrara Court, said their car, motorcycle and other properties were damaged in the floods, and claimed they did not get any compensation from the Selangor government.

“The government was giving out compensation for flood victims, where some people received RM3,000, and others RM5,000. But we got nothing,” lamented Rajakumari.

Winston said when they went to Ng’s office to enquire, the residents were informed that the assemblyman’s office had depleted its funds.

Resident Chong Man Kiow, 76, said the government must take responsibility for what happened at Kinrara and other areas that were affected by the floods.

“The Bohol pond is crucial for flood mitigation. So, why was it left to deteriorate causing hundreds of innocent poor people to suffer?” she added.

Several neighbourhoods in Kuala Lumpur and Puchong were affected by the devastating floods in December 2021, and again on March 2022 and December last year.

While the pond is located in Kuala Lumpur, it borders the Kinrara township in Puchong, Selangor and Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas).

Last month, the affected residents from both areas established the Save Kg Bohol Flood Retention Pond coalition representing over 36 resident groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), held a peaceful protest at the pond site.

About 200 people from the Klang Valley converged at the pond to protest its proposed revocation and redevelopment, which threatens a vital flood mitigation site.

Following this, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa had visited the pond site last month and said upgrading the pond was a priority to prevent flooding.

She added that the housing development had been factored into the suitability of the site.

StarMetro had previously reported that a developer was awarded a tender project to upgrade the Kampung Bohol flood retention pond.

They also received approval to develop the area adjacent to the land reserved for the retention pond, which is expected to include a housing development.

The Attorney General’s Chambers published a notice in the Federal Government Gazette on May 8 announcing the proposed revocation of the land reservation for public purposes under Section 64(2) of the National Land Code (Act 828) for Lot 35309, measuring 24.79ha.

It was signed by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali. The land designated for flood mitigation was gazetted on Nov 4, 2010.

Once the public-use status is revoked, the surrounding area is to be developed for residential purposes.