PETALING JAYA: The flood mitigation measures (2018-2022) under Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) master plan have yet to achieve their objectives, according to the Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 1.
The report noted that three projects amounting to RM27.68mil did not comply with procurement principles.
The report stated that DBKL has not fully implemented the proposed short-term flood mitigation measures, with only 11.1% of 18 projects completed, leaving the problem of flash floods in the city unresolved.
“Flash floods keep recurring even after the implementation of flood mitigation projects,” said the Auditor-General in the report, where it was noted that flood management by DBKL involved flood mitigation projects and maintenance works.
It said implementation of the projects was based on the Kuala Lumpur City Rainwater Management Drainage System Master Plan (Master Plan) and flash flood hotspots.
The report noted that the audit covered two main areas, namely programme performance and programme management, for the period from 2016 to March 2022.
Other weaknesses in programme management that needed attention include variation orders amounting to RM192,553.90 being approved after the contracts expired.
The report also found that time extensions were approved after the expiry of contracts while records of assets or infrastructure of rivers and flood reservoirs were incomplete and not up to date.
It added that there was no evidence to suggest the maintenance work was monitored.
The report also suggested that DBKL needed to conduct an outcome evaluation of the mitigation programme based on its standard operating procedure in dealing with floods.
In response, DBKL said 10 new projects were proposed this year.
“DBKL has completed two out of 18 projects, while five more will be completed this year pending the approval of additional budget,” it said.
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh said the committee would begin its probe into DBKL’s flood mitigation measures owing to shortcomings in preventing floods.
“The PAC has agreed to call up the Federal Territories Ministry to begin proceedings involving the management of Kuala Lumpur’s flood mitigation worth RM329.3mil,” Wong said at a press conference in Parliament’s media centre yesterday.
“The management of flood mitigation in Kuala Lumpur will be our priority owing to the recent frequent flooding.
“The PAC will be calling on Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and the ministry’s secretary-general (Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar).
“Also to be called up is Kuala Lumpur Mayor (Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah),” he said.
However, Wong said a date had yet to be fixed for PAC to begin its probe.
The DBKL flood mitigation measures are a 10-year plan covering 2010 to 2020. A total of RM415.33mil was allocated for the projects, of which RM150.11mil was spent on flood mitigation and RM179.22mil was spent on maintenance works.