KUALA LUMPUR: Only one flood mitigation project out of 26, costing a total of RM8bil, in the east coast of the peninsula has been completed so far, says Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister stated that the sole completed project is at Lembah Bertam in Cameron Highland, Pahang.

The remaining 25 projects are either in various stages of implementation or experiencing delays, according to Fadillah.

"Five of these projects are currently open for tenders and another five are still in the design stage.

"Of the other 15 projects, one is on schedule but the remaining 14 have faced delays due to land acquisition issues or utility diversion hurdles," he informed Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 5).

Fadillah assured that both issues have been resolved for all projects, with contractors being granted extensions on their contract periods to complete the work.

"Regarding the utility diversion issue, we have received approval from the utility companies involved and hope that the utilities can be diverted immediately so construction can commence," he said.

The minister was responding to a question from Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (PN-Pengkalan Chepa) concerning the steps the ministry has taken to address the delay of flood mitigation projects nationwide, particularly in the flood-prone east coast.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/05/flood-mitigation-progress-slow-on-malaysia039s-east-coast