File photos of floods which hit Hulu Langat at end-2025.
Poor sanitation, a long-standing issue in Hulu Langat, continued to beset Kajang folk in 2025.
In July, Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) fined its waste collection contractor KDEB Waste Management RM35,000 for repeated service failures.
The lapses across several areas under MPKj’s jurisdiction included missed or delayed waste collection and malfunctioning lorries as well as broken or damaged communal refuse bins.
The issue was most pronounced in traditional villages in Hulu Langat, where residents reported frequent bin overflows and prolonged delays before waste was cleared.
Residents concerned about health risks, pests and rank smells said they were forced to pool money to hire private waste collectors.
Residents also attributed the situation to illegal dumping by outsiders and nearby commercial operators, which they said had overwhelmed communal bins meant for household waste.
Flood mitigation works and river-management efforts were also slow to get off the ground.
Homes damaged during a storm accompanied by high winds in September.
This left large parts of the district vulnerable as heavy rain and overflowing waterways disrupted lives, damaged homes and cut off key roads.
Heavy rains in late November and early December caused flooding in several areas of Kajang town and Hulu Langat district.
Tragically two boys, aged 12 and 14, drowned while trying to retrieve a ball from a drain in Taman Prima Saujana on Dec 4.
The youngsters fell into the drain and were swept away by the strong current.
Other flood-affected areas were Batu 20, Batu 18, Dusun Tua and Batu 14, caused by the overflowing river which resulted in key roads such as Jalan Tekali, Corner Wong, Kolam Air Panas and the area in front of Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara Dusun Tua being impassable to light vehicles.
Inundations also disrupted the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations in December.
Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Naazron Abdul Yusof said 85 students from SMK Abdul Jalil and SMK Dusun Nanding were transported to their examination centres by lorry after floods cut off several main roads in the area.
Earlier on Sept 22, a storm damaged some 15 houses in Taman Semanja.
Residents were startled by loud crashing sounds as sections of metal roofing were torn off by strong winds.
Most of the affected homes were in Phase A of the housing development, though several homes in Phase B were also damaged.
Meanwhile, a new flyover at the intersection of Jalan Tasik Kesuma and Jalan Semenyih in Bandar Tasik Kesuma is expected to alleviate traffic issues.
The RM52.5mil project involves 11 developers, with construction scheduled to begin early next year and completion targeted for early 2028.
Upgrade works will also be carried out on surrounding roads and junctions to improve traffic flow and safety in the growing township. — By MEGAT SYAHAR
