SHAH ALAM - Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari's remarks at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) convention about giving the rakyat a sense of security ring hollow given nearly two decades of unresolved flooding, water disruptions, rising costs and unaddressed public safety concerns, MCA Beliawanis said.
In a statement yesterday, MCA Beliawanis National chairperson Ivone Low Yi Wen said it was "astonishing" that such pledges were still being made after 18 years of Pakatan Harapan rule in the state.
Ivone pointed to the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion last year, which she said affected hundreds of families and caused significant property damage, as an example of the state government's failure to act with urgency and accountability.
She claimed many affected residents were still awaiting a transparent explanation and a clear outcome from the investigation.
Recurring floods in Klang, Shah Alam, Kajang, Bangi and Puchong also remained unresolved, she added, noting that residents in affected areas had grown genuinely anxious whenever heavy rain was forecast – no longer merely inconvenienced, but fearful.
"Is this the 'sense of security' the state government is referring to?" she said.
Despite Selangor's standing as the country's most developed state, Ivone said ordinary residents continued to contend with climbing living costs, rising assessment taxes and persistent water supply disruptions, all without comprehensive resolution.
She said voters were no longer interested in political catchphrases and expected instead competent governance, practical solutions, transparency and accountability.
"If the state government cannot even resolve long-standing bread-and-butter issues effectively, then all these promises about reform and security become meaningless," she said.
For the record, Selangor has been under the control of PH since the 2008 general election.
The Putra Heights explosion and fire last year was triggered by an underground pipeline leak and occurred near a residential area. The blaze injured about 150 people and displaced 538 residents, damaging 237 houses and 399 vehicles.
An investigation subsequently found that the explosion was caused by soil subsidence that had occurred over the years since the pipeline was laid in 2000, which shifted the pipe by 15.9cm.
Flooding, too, has been a persistent concern across the state, with flash floods repeatedly inundating areas including Shah Alam, Klang, Puchong and Kajang following prolonged heavy rain.