Revive lost ‘city’ of Klang first

It will take more than just a declaration to elevate the status of the town to bring back its glory days. Real and meaningful changes need to happen first.

KLANG will soon become a city.

Yes, let that sink in. The town known for its large crow population, the home of bah kut teh and of course Sg Klang, arguably the most polluted river in the country, will become the 20th city in the country sometime this year.

This follows the government’s decision to upgrade the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) to Klang City Council.

Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said the Cabinet made this decision last week, and Selangor will now have a fourth city in addition to Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Subang Jaya.

According to him, the decision was made because Klang has a population of more than 500,000 people and MPK has an annual income of over RM100mil from sustainable sources, which are part of the criteria to obtain city status.

The minister also said that funds would be made available for the 133-year-old town. Some RM10mil will be set aside for the development of the Klang City Council while the Selangor government will inject a special allocation of RM5mil separately into the new city council.

“Our ministry has also requested for a special allocation of RM24.6mil from the Works Ministry to upgrade the roads here. This will be discussed after the state election,” he said.

A lot more to do: According to Amirudin, the status upgrade will enable Klang to continue to be developed as a sustainable city with vast economic opportunities.

As someone who was born and bred in the Royal Town, should I be doing cartwheels? Should Klangites be throwing parties at this news?

Forgive me for pouring cold water on Nga’s announcement last week. Because Klang’s city status really means nothing without meaningful changes being brought to bear here.

To me, the announcement smacks of an election gimmick. Much like the similar announcement by Selangor caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari who proclaimed that the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) project will not be approved.

On Monday, Amirudin announced the cancellation of the proposed multibillion ringgit highway that was approved by the previous Federal Government under former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in April last year.

But when questioned by journalists later, he was reported to have said: “If they (the developer) can fulfil the conditions set by the state and appease the people, we can continue with it.”

This apparent flip-flop has not been completely verified yet, but both announcements (Klang’s city status and the cancellation of PJD Link) should be taken with a large dose of salt.

Politicians are known to make all sorts of pronouncements in the run-up to elections. These “promises” are often unfulfilled.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proud Klangite and even though I’ve relocated to Kuala Lumpur, I travel weekly to visit my parents who still live there. I sincerely hope the Federal Government will keep to its word and upgrade Klang because my weekly visits show me that nothing much has changed.

Klang used to be known as a dirty town with uncollected garbage and clogged drains that led to floods in certain areas during heavy rains. That is still true today. A drive to the Sungai Keramat neighbourhood will reveal piles of garbage left uncollected.

And residents of Taman Melawis are still fearful every time it rains because their low- lying area is prone to flooding.

The town used to be synonymous with triads when the crime rate was the highest in Selangor at one time. Although police action has seen improvement here, there are still neighbourhoods which are crime-infested. This is another issue that must be tackled.

Port Klang was the gateway to the Klang Valley in the 1970s and 1980s and during that period the town was buzzing with activity. You could meet sailors and merchantmen from around the world in Jalan Watson, the main shopping thoroughfare.

Port Klang today is a far cry from its heyday. The town is decrepit and rundown. The North Klang Straits Bypass (completed in 1998) which connects North Port and West Port was the death knell of the town because the commercial operations – restaurants and offices – in Jalan Kem lost their clientele and many of these establishments shut down.

Port Klang and certain commercial centres in Klang town badly need to be reinvigorated. Throwing money at improving infrastructure is only a short-term fix because there must be a holistic approach in ensuring that these areas become vibrant and attractive enough for businesses and residents.

It needs a good balance of tourism and retail economy to be sustainable.

According to Amirudin, the status upgrade will enable Klang to continue to be developed as a sustainable city with vast economic opportunities.

Klangites hope that these promises aren’t merely words expressed during the campaign trail. Real, meaningful changes need to happen before Klang can be called a city, let alone a Royal City.