THE Department of Irrigation and Drainage (Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran or JPS) has defended the performance of its flood early warning system following public scrutiny over its response to recent severe weather across Selangor.
The statement comes in response to a critique by Selangor MCA, which questioned the system’s effectiveness after multiple areas in the state experienced flooding between 10 and 15 September.
In an official statement release, JPS reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment” to public safety and emphasised that continuous upgrades were underway to enhance disaster preparedness and forecasting accuracy.
“The implementation of Phase 2 of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Programme (PRAB) in Selangor is in its final stages,” the department noted. “This phase, involving 280 monitoring stations, is expected to be fully completed by 25 October 2025 and will markedly improve both coverage and precision of early warnings in the state.”
JPS stated that between 10 and 18 September, it had received 28 thunderstorm warnings from MetMalaysia, the national meteorological agency.
However, the department’s flood forecasting models did not indicate a significant flood risk in Selangor during that period, explaining why no widespread alerts were issued.
Despite this, real-time data on rainfall and river levels were made available to the public via the Public InfoBanjir portal, which updates every 15 minutes. The same data streams were also shared directly with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and monitored from the National Disaster Command Centre.
Hydrodynamic flood forecasting models for five key river basins—Sungai Bernam, Sungai Selangor, Sungai Buloh, Sungai Klang and Sungai Langat—were completed as of 27 June 2025.
JPS described these models as vital tools for assessing water levels and flood risks.
On flood sirens, JPS reported that 16 out of 104 siren stations planned under PRAB Phase 2 in Selangor are already active in Gombak and Hulu Selangor. All were found to be in normal operating condition between 1 and 18 September, with regular maintenance conducted to ensure functionality.
“We assure the public of our ongoing commitment to strengthening the early warning system,” said the department’s Director General. “We will continue working closely with all relevant agencies to ensure accurate, timely information and effective mitigation measures are delivered.”
JPS added that it welcomed constructive feedback as part of its ongoing efforts to build greater disaster resilience in Selangor and across the country. - September 20, 2025
