Lawyer: KL residents ready to listen to DBKL’s flood mitigation plans
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — A lawyer acting for a group of concerned Kuala Lumpur residents over the Kuala Lumpur City Council's (DBKL) flood mitigation plans said they are ready for a townhall meeting to discuss the matter.
In an official letter to the Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, lawyer Lim Wei Jiet said the residents have requested for the session after Shahidan expressed a willingness to have a dialogue on the matter.
"In this regard, we are ready to organise a townhall meeting in the next one to two weeks between our clients, as well as other Kuala Lumpur residents, and yourself. This would provide an avenue for both parties to have a two-way discussion on the information we have requested in our September 19, 2022 letter, as well as other flood mitigation measures.
"We believe it is important for this discussion to take place openly and in public, as everyone is entitled to such information. We hope the Ministry of Federal Territories and/or DBKL will assist us in providing a venue for the townhall meeting to take place in the next one to two weeks. On our end, we will require a minimum of one week for arrangements to be made," Lim said.
He also responded to Shahidan, explaining that his clients have not initiated the letter of demand to seek publicity.
"We only wish for transparency and information on the status of DBKL’s flood mitigation strategies. Only with information, can public policies be scrutinised and improved, which in turn will reduce the impact of the coming year-end floods on millions of Kuala Lumpur residents," he added.
On Sunday, Bernama reported Shahidan saying that he was prepared to give a detailed explanation about the flood mitigation measures in the city capital, and as for certain quarters who plan on suing him over the matter, that is their right.
He said the flash flood mitigation measures in the capital had undergone audit procedures and some have been completed, while others remain in the process.
Eight Kuala Lumpur residents, led by former Malaysian Bar chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, recently demanded that DBKL provide information on flood mitigation plans for the upcoming monsoon season or face a lawsuit.
In the letter of demand dated September 19 sighted by Malay Mail, Ambiga and seven other residents named Shahidan and Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah as respondents to their demand and told them to furnish the information within five days.
The letter of demand was submitted through the law firm Messrs Lim Wei Jiet.
Besides Ambiga, the other residents named in the letter are Kiu Jia Yaw, Muhammad Taufiq Mohd Razak, Farah Syahidah Shamsuddin, Safiya Spahic, P. Geethananthini, Shah Fariq Aizal Sha Ghazni and Nur Aneesa Mohammad Nizam.
The eight residents said the information demanded is necessary so they and the public can determine if DBKL’s plans are adequate in mitigating the predicted floods during the monsoon season, and if not, so they can provide feedback.
