KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has decreed that there should be no delay in gazetting Kuala Lumpur’s green spaces and flood retention ponds, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh said today.

The matter was raised during Yeoh’s recent audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara, where she also briefed His Majesty on reform initiatives being undertaken by her ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

“The Yang di-Pertuan Agong decreed that we must not delay the decision on the gazetting of areas such as green zones and flood retention ponds, because these are areas of public interest.

“We must expedite it.

“That is why the task force we established is highly crucial for us to protect all these public spaces, as well as for the safety of our senior citizens,” Yeoh told reporters after launching the KL Architecture Festival’s Tropical Fruit Pavilion in Titiwangsa here today.

The issue of flood retention ponds has come under scrutiny following reports that a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation found several key flood mitigation sites in Kuala Lumpur, including in Jinjang and Batu, had received protection approvals in 1998, but were never formally gazetted.

As a result, the land remained ungazetted for nearly two decades before a land working committee revoked the 1998 approvals in 2015 and alienated about 80 acres of flood retention land to private developers for mixed-use residential projects.

Separately, Yeoh said Kuala Lumpur already has sufficient infrastructure and that the current focus is on improving and revitalising public recreational spaces, particularly for families.

Among the measures introduced is the extension of operating hours at 10 major public parks in the capital, including Titiwangsa Lake Gardens and Perdana Botanical Gardens.

“We are moving the opening time forward from 6am to 5.30am.

“Furthermore, on Fridays and Saturdays, we are extending the closing time from 10pm until 12.30am.

“This is because we want these families to have a healthy environment where they can go out and enjoy time together,” she said.