SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government has come out with measures to ensure development projects in the state do not jeopardise the ecosystem, after indiscriminate land clearing was said to be the cause of the severe floods in Kelantan.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said every development in Malaysia’s wealthiest state would be bound by a new standard operating procedure (SOP) drawn up to ensure it does not harm or destroy the environment.

“The SOP includes development at the hill slope, high areas, as well as drainage system and water retention areas in housing neighbourhoods.

“The new SOP includes ensuring that at least 30% of the forest reserve in Selangor is maintained and cannot be cleared,” Mohamed Azmin said.

He said severe penalties will be meted out against those who encroached into the forest reserves.

He said Selangor did not want what happened in Lojing, Gua Musang and Cameron Highlands to occur in the state.  

Mohamed Azmin said yesterday’s executive committee meeting had approved the setting up of a committee which will oversee the 12 local authorities in Selangor to ensure the SOP is followed.

“At the same time, enforcement and stringent laws are needed to ensure that natural disasters such as landslides do not occur. All of these will be included in the new SOP which will be used by state governments in the future,” Mohamed Azmin said.

He also revealed that Selangor would cooperate with the federal government to assist flood victims in Pahang.

 Mohamed Azmin said they had received a call from the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry yesterday morning inviting Selangor to assist flood victims in Temerloh and Bera in Pahang. He said this was a form of acknowledgement from Putrajaya, who saw Selangor as a state which came forward to offer humanitarian aid and assistance. “We do not want political sentiments to get between helping flood victims. It requires the assistance of all parties including state and federal governments.” — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 8, 2015.