Malaysia’s ambitious River of Life project struggles to meet deadline despite $1.2 billion spending

According to community leader Kennedy Michael, it was only a few weeks ago that he discovered that a subsidiary of a publicly traded company was discharging human feces into the river from its construction site.

He is the founder of the community-based group Alliance of River Three, which is committed to restoring the river ecosystem. The group is working to restore a five-kilometre stretch of the Klang River by planting trees to restore the ecosystem.

So far, Class I water quality, the highest quality, has been achieved for a one-kilometer stretch. The group hopes that the river will eventually achieve Class I water quality for its five kilometers.

It is unlikely that this will happen in the short term, at least not for the rest of the river.

Just a few kilometres further along the banks of the Klang River, near the foot of the township of Bukit Antarabangsa, is a row of about 20 shops, including restaurants and car repair shops. The waterway has been used as a dumping ground for years.

University lecturer and former deputy minister of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Professor Ong Kian Ming, who has a personal interest in the project, has issued a bold challenge to RoL officials. They should emulate Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s approach by swimming in the Seine during preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games to prove that the project is delivering results, he said in a statement on July 18.

According to Prof Ong, the river fluctuates between Class II and Class III depending on the weather, day of the week and other factors.

“The river is less smelly now compared to 2015. The cleanliness of the water is important because at IIB and above, the water is suitable for recreational activities such as swimming and kayaking. And at class III and below, it is unsafe for people to enter the river,” he told ST.

“It’s a huge amount of money for 14 years – enough to build a new hospital or modernise a couple of airports,” he added.