KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) will assess the Protected Areas and Prohibited Places Act 1959 (Act 298) to explore the possibility of designating certain dams as recreational areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof stated that while dams are currently designated as restricted zones inaccessible to the public, the government recognises the need to enhance integrated river basin management and engage local communities in preserving these areas.
However, he emphasised that strict conditions would apply, including the prohibition of swimming and fishing to prevent pollution.
“Dams are protected and preserved areas, but at the same time, we want to engage local communities in maintaining them. If we open these areas for picnics, camping, and other recreational activities, it can also generate socio-economic benefits for the surrounding community.
“At the same time, a dedicated committee will be established to oversee and ensure the preservation of these areas,” he said after chairing the special committee meeting on addressing the decline in national river water quality today.
Fadillah, who also serves as the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the matter was among the key agreements reached during the meeting.
As a follow-up, he announced that a committee led by the DID would be established to assess the feasibility of the proposal, incorporating input from relevant state-level stakeholders.
The special committee also agreed that state governments should implement regular desludging of individual septic tanks, particularly at government premises and agencies, to help reduce river pollution.
He noted that it has also endorsed the use of innovative methods, such as the Environmental Dredging System developed by the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia, to remove contaminated sediments with minimal impact on aquatic ecosystems.
