KLANG – The Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, which aims to transform Sg Klang into a maritime economic zone, is expected to rake in more than RM1 billion in investments by 2030, said Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The menteri besar said the investments will be in the form of joint ventures with the state’s special purpose vehicles.
“Sg Klang and its embankment hold great prospects that can unlock high-value opportunities for savvy businesses and investors, and we are in negotiations with several parties to realise a number of activities to propel the river’s revival,” he told reporters during a site visit today.
He said SMG has a lot of potential, and to date, the state government has spent about RM45 million on cleaning up Sg Klang.
While Selangor welcomes investors and companies to be part of SMG, he said, any activity built on Sg Klang’s resources and ecosystem must be integrated in the initiative’s master plan to ensure the river’s cleanliness is not compromised.
He said four key pillars – river cleaning, connectivity, development and rehabilitation – have been identified as key drivers in SMG.
“All these projects are targeted for completion by 2030, in line with the state’s Smart Selangor aspiration to make it home to Southeast Asia’s leading liveable smart city.”
Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Menteri Besar Selangor Inc, is mandated by the state government to manage SMG.
LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the Pangkalan Batu Urban Park in Klang, a project under the initiative, is one of the few riverbank community parks in the country, and the only one along the SMG corridor.
It has undergone major upgrading to create more open communal spaces, he said.
“This year will see the start of several tourism opportunities via the SMG project, with the launch of the river taxi service soon, followed by the opening of Mangrove Point, the first nature park in Malaysia to promote a biophilic approach, later in the year.”
Work will also commence on the development of the last two catalyst projects under Phase 1 of SMG, namely the Grand Bazaar and Cultural Village.
The SMG initiative will introduce a riverside organic urban farm, several connectivity projects and sustainable living concepts, as well as circular economic activities that address river waste and grey water.
According to the SMG website, the master plan covers 35,612ha along 56km of Sg Klang. – Bernama, March 23, 2021
