Back in 1857 or thereabouts, Raja Abdullah sent some chinese miners upriver from Sg. Klang to open new and larger tin mines. These chinese miners reached the confluence of Sungai Gombak (previously known as Sungai Lumpur, which means muddy river) and Sungai Klang (Klang river) to open mines at Ampang. Thereafter, this place is known as Kuala Lumpur. It then became the capital of Malaysia.

Little did they know that the name Kuala Lumpur (which means "muddy confluence" in Malay) foretold what was going to be quite an unsurprising event more than 150 years or so later. Last evening, there was chaos in the city when having experienced 3 hours of rain (Malaysia is placed on the equator, rain or heavy rain for that matter, is not something unusual), the word "muddy confluence" became reality literally.

So, was it a freak storm which many (especially the government and authorities) would like to point to? Blame it on God? As some say, it is an Act of God? Or perhaps, the RM1.0 + billion SMART Tunnel project, whilst it is complete, has yet to be working together with other required ponds and other flood mitigation projects? Or blame it on people who throw rubbish indiscriminately thus blocking the drainage systems. Or blame it on developers who fell trees and caused the rivers to be laden with mud and thus, having a shallower river which is unable to get the water out to sea fast enough.



Blame it on everyone else but the government and local authorities. But then again, the government has been governing and managing this Country since Independance 50 years ago. Nobody else had the chance to deal with flood mitigating plans. Nobody else had the authority to approve development projects. Nobody else had the authority to enforce laws and bye-laws and what-nots. Nobody could interfere with their governing of this Country, what more to say the pride of the nation, the capital city known as the muddy confluence.


Truly, how much more should the citizens of Kuala Lumpur tolerate in respect of the half-past-six enforcement of the prevailing laws available? Illegal development projects should be halted and perpetrators severely prosecuted. Litter bugs should be fined. Don't tell me they are unaware. Or are they busy sipping their coffee and tea? If Singapore can do it, why can't we? Unless we take the easy way out by saying Singapore is a small city state and enforcement of the law is much easier. If that is so, then just acknowledge that our laws are for dressing up and menunjuk-nunjuk saja. Acah-acah aje. We mean no harm.


Spare a thought for those whose lives have constantly been interrupted by frequent flash floods. Not just those whose properties were damaged and businesses disrupted but motorists who get stuck in a hour-long traffic jams whenever a burst of rainfall happens at peak hours. It is getting ridiculous to be spending more than 1 hour on the road for the same distance which you can cover in 15 minutes on a Sunday morning. 30 minutes would be more reasonable and I wouldn't mind.

I dread to think what our tourists might be thinking having seen yesterday's floods after being lured by glossy pages of tourist brochures highlighting the muddy confluence of Kuala Lumpur for Visit Malaysia Year 2007. If you were a tourist, what would you say?