KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — Kuala Lumpur is accelerating efforts to strengthen its flood resilience as annual rainfall levels increasingly exceed the design capacity of older flood mitigation infrastructure.
According to The Star in an exclusive interview, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the city is shifting towards a “sponge city” approach alongside expanded on-site detention (OSD) systems, while also exploring incentives for developers to integrate more green spaces into redevelopment projects.
She said the incentive framework is still being developed, adding that proposals include allowing higher plot ratios for developments that contribute substantial public green areas, such as large parks.
Yeoh also said the government is looking at publishing Green Area Records online and forming a special task force under the Federal Territories Department to gazette more open and green spaces, describing such measures as key long-term safeguards.
As of mid-April 2026, 45 additional green and open spaces have been gazetted, bringing the total number of protected areas to 539.
On flood mitigation infrastructure, she said authorities are expanding the use of OSD ponds, including underground systems such as those implemented at Perdana Botanical Garden and Padang Merbok.
She added that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is identifying new OSD locations, including in Kampung Bukit Lanjan following a recent landslide, as well as near the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, stressing the importance of protecting key heritage areas from flood risk.
Yeoh said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and DBKL are continuously identifying new sites under the Environmentally Friendly Drainage Master Plan (Pisma), noting that OSD systems differ from retention ponds as they are designed to temporarily hold and release stormwater rather than retain it permanently.
Based on DID data, historical annual rainfall previously ranged between 2,500mm and 2,900mm, but has exceeded 3,000mm annually in recent years from 2019 to 2024.
She said this upward trend requires Kuala Lumpur to upgrade infrastructure standards, as systems designed for historical rainfall levels are now under strain. A review is also underway to update the city’s Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) standards.
Flood preparedness efforts, she added, also include improving last-mile warning systems to deliver direct alerts to residents in low-lying areas, as well as strengthening coordination with Residents Representative Councils on emergency response.
On development controls, Yeoh said DBKL will not approve planning permission for projects on retention pond land until specific technical conditions set by DID are met, including at the Jinjang and Batu retention pond areas where portions of land have been alienated over the years.
She said approval processes now require developers to ensure OSD systems can fully manage runoff from their sites without overloading downstream drainage infrastructure, with oversight supported through the DBKL One-Stop Centre portal and further review by a special task force for high-risk cases.
Yeoh also highlighted slope management improvements following recent mudflood incidents linked to hillside works, noting that stricter enforcement of erosion and sediment control measures has been introduced, including more frequent on-site monitoring at high-risk locations.
She said phased earthworks are now required on sloped sites, alongside buffer zones and tighter controls on large-scale land clearing.
KL mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud previously said settlement markers would be installed at more than 1,100 slope areas across the capital.
For flood mitigation, DBKL has allocated RM84.6 million this year, with Yeoh noting that beyond infrastructure investment, maintenance remains a key gap.
She said RM5 million has been allocated for upgrading and maintaining flood retention ponds under a strategic cooperation between the Federal Territories Department and the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
Yeoh added that long-term works, including underground storage systems and upgrades to retention ponds, are being expedited over the next 12 to 24 months, alongside increased desilting works at identified flood hotspots.
She said enforcement mechanisms have also been strengthened, including potential blacklisting of contractors who fail to meet safety standards, as well as collaboration with the Malaysia Competition Commission to curb tender cartels.
According to her, stop-work orders have proven to be among the most effective penalties for non-compliance, particularly in cases involving environmental risks on construction sites.