KUALA LUMPUR, 10 March 2009: The Selangor government has embarked on an ambitious plan to implement a RM20 billion clean-up and rehabilitation of the Klang River towards creating a catalyst for economic development in the state.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the project that could stretch over a decade was to enhance real-estate development along the river and land reserves, adding that the river itself could in the future be used for an alternative public transportation system for the people and goods.
He said the immediate benefit of the project would be to provide business to companies and jobs for the people as the river together with its many tributaries was over 250km long.
“The utilisation of civil equipment like cranes and the number of employees working on the project would create a spin up to the Selangor economy,” he told The Edge Financial Daily in an interview recently.
Khalid said cleaning the river did not only mean widening parts of it but also involved water retention activities, speed control of the flow and the landscaping.
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This article first appeared on 10 March 2009 in The Edge Financial Daily under the title RM20b to clean up Klang River. Used with permission.
doinkers says
Oh wow. The state can spend RM20 billion to fix up the river and the federal government can only afford to spend RM17 billion (1st + 2nd package) to fix up the economy for whole country.