MBDK turned Taman Bandar DiRaja Klang into a biophilic garden in 2025. — Filepic
CITIES like Klang saw a tourism boom in 2025, due in part to Visit Selangor Year 2025, its royal city status, heritage trail and easing of visa policies, especially for tourists from China.
Klang welcomed 642,557 visitors from January to September this year, surpassing the total figure of 629,218 achieved over the whole of last year.
Its mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain said the figure comprised 465,315 domestic tourists while foreign visitors accounted for 177,242.
The countries with the most visitors were China (63,655), Singapore (15,725) and Indonesia (12,642).
Abd Hamid noted the upward trend was a boost for the local economy as it helped to create diverse employment opportunities and generate foreign exchange.
Sustainability efforts
Up to Dec 11, Klang Royal City Council’s (MBDK) Smart Selangor free bus service ferried 297,446 passengers.
Among the beneficiaries were students from B40 families.
The free service, with seven routes and 10 buses, played a major role in getting them to school without them having to pay high fees for privately run services.
Up to Dec 11, MBDK’s seven free bus routes with 10 buses ferried 297,446 passengers.
Abd Hamid said the free bus service made it easier for students to attend sports activities on weekends and after school.
Some routes had two buses during peak hours.
About 14,540 foreign nationals including Indians, Bangladeshi, Myanmarese, Vietnamese and Nepalese have also used the bus service up to Dec 11. Foreigners are charged 90sen per trip.
Abd Hamid noted that these buses also played a role in reducing the number of private cars on Klang roads.
On Nov 30, MBDK announced that it would no longer post assessment tax bills to property owners starting next year.
Property owners were advised to check and make payments through the ipay.mbdk.gov.my portal.
In early November, MBDK received a Sustainable City Award under the Malaysian Urban-Rural National Indicators Network for Sustainable Development (Murninets) at the Selangor-level World Town Planning Day celebration.
Murninets assesses the sustainability of a city through 56 indicators in 11 key sectors.
In line with this, MBDK has also stepped up its recycling efforts.
Between January and April, its Environmental Services Department collected an estimated 524 tonnes of plastic waste, which was later recycled.
The council also encouraged companies involved in recycling to collect plastic waste at the source, namely residents’ homes.
A plastic waste sorting facility was built along Sungai Klang to separate recyclables.
In July, Ocean Cleanup, in collaboration with its partners Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd, J&K Wonderland Foundation and Coca-Cola Malaysia, unveiled a plastic waste sorting facility along Sungai Klang.
The facility separates recyclable waste collected from the river.
Improving Klang’s liveability
On Dec 5, Abd Hamid said a comprehensive flood prevention plan was being drafted to serve as a central reference for all future flood mitigation projects across Klang.
It will be implemented through drainage upgrades, new retention ponds, pump installations and river cleaning programmes under the “Cintai Sungai Klang” initiative.
Flood mitigation projects are ongoing in Klang, including one along Sungai Kandis.
Abd Hamid said flood mitigation measures have shown positive results, as only a few areas were affected by tropical storm Senyar on Nov 28 despite prolonged heavy rain.
MBDK also turned Taman Bandar DiRaja Klang into a biophilic garden, with a budget of RM800,000.
Abd Hamid said the council was seeking to implement nature-inspired solutions to mitigate the pressures of climate change and population growth on the built environment.
Biophilic design is an architectural approach that integrates natural elements into built spaces to strengthen people’s connection with nature.
MBDK’s landscape architects, along with planners and engineers, also envisioned turning the elevated 4.5ha parcel of land sandwiched between Jalan Tengku Kelana and Jalan Istana into a people-centric area.
The Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Royal Gallery at Jalan Stesen is among the landmarks along Klang’s heritage trail. — KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
Strengthening enforcement
In the first quarter of 2025, MBDK added 100 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to the existing number of 407 to combat illegal dumping.
These were installed in hotspots such as back lanes, with footage used to improve enforcement and accountability. The CCTV cameras were rented for cost-effectiveness.
MBDK Enforcement Department have, up to the end of November, removed 18,629 illegal banners and bunting from trees, lamp posts, traffic lights and road signs.
Most of the illegal advertisements were for property, transport rentals and household renovations.
Unlicensed moneylenders or ah long (loan sharks) posters totalling 10,491 pieces were also removed.
In January, eight employees from the Klang District and Land Office suspected of being involved in illegal land transfer activities were transferred out.
The Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department suspected them of being part of a cartel involving the illegal transfer of 9.4ha of land valued at RM7.1mil.
Selangor Land and Mines Office (PTGS) director Datuk Dr Yusri Zakariah said all eight were moved to the Human Resources Department at the Selangor State Secretariat in Shah Alam.
Their new job scope would not involve land matters.
