THE TWO RIVERS : OBSERVATIONS UP THE KLANG AND GOMBAK RIVER
This project is a culmination of 4-month photographic survey up the Klang and Gombak rivers and its tributaries in 2016. This survey aims to bring to the fore the complex relationship we have with the two rivers, the birthplace of the city of Kuala Lumpur. The project takes a broad gaze at the social, political, economic, environmental, cultural and historical implications of the confluence as it snakes up from the city into sub-urban villages, dusty towns, under mega traffic systems, development projects, till they disappear into the thick of the forest, their place of brith. The work is a critical but compassionate look at policy, local attitudes, enforcement and the successes and the clumsy rehabilitation river programme of the previous administration which now is struggling with its uncertain future.
Water, which makes up 70% of the surface of the planet is one of the most important resources to life. Of the total volume of water on the planet, only 2.5% is fresh water and of that, it is estimated only 1% of this water is accessible globally for consumption. A child dies every 15 seconds due to water-borne disease. Countries are at war due to this precious resource and yet in a country that experiences over 4000ml a year, we have not learnt to cherish and respect this vital part of life on earth. - The Batu Reservoir, Selangor, Malaysia,
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The River of Life programme aims to transform the Klang River into a vibrant and liveable water front with high economic value. The River of Life is an Entry Point Project identified in the Greater Kuala Lumpur / Klang Valley National Key Economic Area under the Economic Transformation Programme. The estimated cost of the project is an access of RM4 billion.
Uncleared construction debris is consumed by the foliage growing by the river.
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A scene from the recently evacuated area of Kampung Puah, Sentul. The River of Life project is a major river rehabilitation and urban development programme that promises to make Kuala Lumpur a more liveable city. The efforts have also however resulted in huge relocation programmes of the original dwellers as well as sped up urban gentrification.
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A fisherman casts his net into the Gombak River. Effluence from factories, businesses and housing has pollute the rivers to a point that all aquatic life from the river is deemed to be hazardous to health. Fishermen who have spent all their lives fishing here are in their 60s and know no other way of sustenance and find themselves forced to seek a living fishing.
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Construction material for the DUKE 2 highway piled neatly below the existing DUKE flyover that intersects Jalan Pahang and the Gombak River.
An abandoned shrine sits alone by the river. Rivers have become suitable dumping grounds for local communities and businesses alike.
The DUKE Highway intersecting the Gombak River. Flanking the highway is the newly built flood mitigation system, part of the River of Life programme.
A birds eye view of the Gombak River.
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Denims in a bush by the banks of the river. Everyday items are the most apparent solid waste that is found in the rivers.
The hope that with the River of Life project in full flight, our rivers will be once again the beautiful feature it once was.
Private developers have closed much of the river banks to the public by building their structures up to the fringe of the banks. This at once prevents the public from access to these public spaces and cuts off foot traffic along the rivers.
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Restaurant supplies coming in preparation for the after-work crowd.
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Commuters at the Masjid Jamek LRT Station
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Pedestrians traversing a congested road toward Jalan Tun HS Lee.
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An elderly couple navigate the broken pathways in the city centre. Part of the River of Life project is to raise the living standards in the city.
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Women discuss work outside the HSBC Bank in Kuala Lumpur.
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An elderly woman prepares soup for a patron of her road-side stall in a narrow alley near Lebuh Ampang.
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Fabric merchants unload a new stock that just arrived outside their shop in Masjid India.
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Effective city planning takes into consideration how people use urban spaces for leisure or commute.
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One is reminded of the diverse cultures and generations living in Kuala Lumpur, a hallmark of a cosmopolitan and booming city.
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The famous Kadir on Lebuh Ampang at lunch.
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Upstream of Sg Jinjang.
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A fisherman strolls across the embankment of Sungai Gombak.
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Plastic is the main solid waste material that makes its way into the rivers.
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A local fisherman walks chest deep in the Jinjang river in the hopes of a catch.
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A commuter walks outside the Masjid Jamek LRT station. With the development of the new MRT lines, the government hopes to address and mitigate the current traffic congestion issue.
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After Friday prayer at Masjid Jamek, in Kuala Lumpur. The site of Masjid Jamek is where the two main rivers, Gombak and Kelang meet and continue its way to the Straits of Malacca. It is said that it was at this spot where the city was established.
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Women navigating their way out of the Plaza Rakyat LRT system.
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Muslim men seek some personal time and solace at Masjid Jamek after prayer, overlooking the Klang River.
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School kids at the Masjid Jamek after Friday prayer.
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Muslim tourists navigate their way after Friday prayer at Masjid Jamek.
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Women hurry back home after work, Lebuh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Women in Malaysia are a huge contributor to the workforce.
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A scene from the Bangsar LRT station at sundown.
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Rush hour on the LRT in Kuala Lumpur.
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Tourists crowd at the bridge across the water feature to take photos of the Petronas Twin Towers at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
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The city comes alive after work hours at KLCC Park with people coming to exercise and absorb the lights and atmosphere there.
An Indonesian migrant at her restaurant, Pekan Ampang.
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Quaint housing solutions at Kampung Puah, by the Gombak river.
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These two young men own their little barber shop by the fringe of the Batu River. They take turns cutting hair with a few friends and provide the local community with a much needed service.
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Monkeys by the staircase leading up to the Batu Caves.
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A local of the Sungai Jinjang area stands outside his house.
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Makeshift bath facilities erected by the Batu River to service the devotees over Thaipusam. The water from these units go into the river untreated and pose a problem to the further pollution of the river.
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The rivers of the Klang Valley have become a thing of shame that all homes and new buildings have its back to it, turning it further into an embarrassing and unwanted feature.
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A makeshift barber shop on the site of the old Kampung Berembang, Ampang. After the village was earmarked for development and subsequently demolished in 2006, the Bangladeshi community working on the development projects there have made it their temporary home and have learnt to eek out a living there. The original inhabitants of the village have been almost completely evacuated.
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Girls walk home after school. Sungai Batu, Batu Caves.
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A coconut seller pushes his load over a narrow bridge that crosses the Batu river.
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Madam Cheah is 83 years old and still runs her vegetable and herb stall at the Pekan Ampang market. She is the oldest vendor at the market. The herbs she sells is used for skin rejuvenation. The market is earmarked for development. The folks at the market are very unhappy with the plans as they claim the architect's design does not take into consideration the needs of the vendors, the elderly or the community. They are staging a protest but the local government is not responding favourably, preferring to bulldoze the project through.
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The confluence of Sungai Batu as it meets Sungai Gombak. The confluence is a place where a lot of the rubbish flowing down the rivers collide and collect on the banks, till the next big rain comes to wash it further down the rivers.
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School students leave a roadside restaurant after a late lunch. Kampung Baru Ampang.
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A mechanic supplies store in Ampang.
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A headless chicken lies in the shallows of the Ampang river. A lot of waste from the local market is deposited into the river as a cheap and easy means to discard waste.
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Assumed as one of the few original inhabitants of Kampung Berembang, Ampang. This is the only Hindu household in the entire area.
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Construction blocks to reinforce the river banks lie strewn in Sungai Ampang.
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A roadside florist in the idyllic town of Pekan Ampang.
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A new development looms behind one of the last houses of the Kampung Berembang, Ampang neighbourhood.
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Migrant workers head back to work on the construction site where Kampung Berembang used to stand.
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Clothes of migrant workers hang on the outer walls of their makeshift homes. Kampung Berembang, Ampang.
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Sungai Amapang as it flows behind the almost abandoned Ampang Waterfront development.
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The water catchment area that plays a major part of the flood relief system of the SMART Tunnel is flanked by the AKLEH highway. It has become a refuge for wading birds.
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A fisherman tends to his rods and catch at Sungai Ampang.
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Batu Reservoir, Selangor
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Batu Reservoir, Selangor
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