Shah Alam Flood Near i-City: Detention Pond Proposed at Taman Rashna, Klang, as Federal Highway Drains Get Deepened

Key Takeaways

• Flash floods hit Shah Alam on two days running: the Federal Highway near i-City on 27 October 2026, then the area around Jalan Keluli 1C in Section 7 on 28 October.
• A detention pond is proposed in Taman Rashna, Klang. The Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) will oversee it, along with works to deepen and upgrade the drains along the Federal Highway. No cost has been given.
• The Shah Alam mayor says the main cause is overflow from Sungai Rasah, made worse when a high tide lifts Sungai Klang and the main drain backs up into low-lying land.
• Water usually falls within 30 minutes, so the bigger risk for most factories nearby is blocked lorry access during a downpour, more than long standing water.
• MetMalaysia expects three to five episodes of prolonged heavy rain between November 2026 and January 2027, and none of the new works has a reported completion date.

What Happened

On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, flooding along the Federal Highway near i-City caused severe congestion for motorists coming from Bukit Raja in Klang. The next day, after heavy rain between noon and 1pm, floodwater covered the area around Jalan Keluli 1C near i-City in Section 7, Shah Alam, for a second day, The Star reported.

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) said high water in Sungai Rasah, particularly near the Tugu Keris area, compounded the flooding and caused the river to overflow.

The reports describe flooded roads and traffic. They do not say whether any factory or warehouse took water inside, so treat this as an access and drainage story until an owner on the ground says otherwise.

The Plan: A Pond in Klang to Protect a Stretch of Shah Alam

Shah Alam mayor Datuk Zabidah Safar then set out the response. According to The Star, a detention pond is proposed in Taman Rashna, Klang, and is expected to reduce the recurring floods affecting i-City and the nearby Federal Highway. The proposal came up at a multi-agency meeting on the Tuesday, chaired by Selangor's infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim. DID, the Public Works Department (JKR), Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) and local industry stakeholders were there.

The mayor explained why it takes so many bodies to fix one stretch of road: "Sungai Rasah falls under DID, Federal Highway under JKR, Taman Rashna under MBDK and i-City under MBSA."

Why rain at high tide is the problem

The mayor's explanation is the most useful part of the news for anyone running a site nearby. Sungai Rasah discharges into a DID drain beside the Federal Highway, and that drain flows into Sungai Klang. When a high tide raises Sungai Klang, the main drain is overwhelmed and water backs up into the surrounding low-lying areas.

So the same rainfall can behave differently on different days. A detention pond holds stormwater back for a while, and flap gates are meant to stop water running backwards up a drain. Both are aimed at this backflow rather than at the rainfall itself.

How This Fits With the RM40 Million Already Approved

This is a new step in a subject that has been moving for weeks. On 18 October, Datuk Izham said the federal government had approved RM40 million for flash floods around Bukit Raja, including i-City, and that the project was still at the design stage. He also said the state was studying critical sites for retention ponds in Shah Alam, Klang and Kajang.

The Star's report on the pond gives no cost and does not say whether the pond falls under that RM40 million. Two more dates and numbers are worth watching:

• 13 November 2026: the Selangor Budget 2027 is due to be tabled. Klang mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain has asked the state to prioritise damaged roads and flood mitigation in Klang, citing the heavy goods traffic of a port city, and says MBDK's flash flood measures align with the five-year Klang Sustainable Stormwater Plan (KLASS).
• 13 hotspots: Datuk Zabidah says Shah Alam has about 13 flood hotspots this year, the same as previous figures, mostly near rivers, including Section 13 along Sungai Klang, TTDI Jaya and Kampung Melayu Subang along Sungai Damansara.

What It Means for Factory Owners, Tenants and Buyers

The Federal Highway links Klang, Bukit Raja and Shah Alam, so it matters to lorries serving both sides. Our Bukit Raja industrial area page lists factories on Lebuh Keluli and names the Federal Highway among the estate's main roads. A blocked stretch near i-City can therefore affect deliveries well beyond the street that actually floods.

Three things follow.

The cost is usually delay, not damage. With water typically falling within 30 minutes, a short flood at the wrong hour can still hold up a container or a production shift. If your deliveries run through this stretch, it is worth keeping a second route and telling drivers what to do in an afternoon storm.

Do not price in a pond that has not been built. The pond is a proposal, with no reported cost or start date. A seller who says "the flood problem is being solved" is talking about future works. A buyer should judge the site by its flood record and floor levels today.

Registered prices will not show flood risk for you. JPPH-registered transactions for Shah Alam record 83 industrial deals worth RM499.67 million in the 12 months to August 2026. Over 24 months, the median is RM5.92 million for a semi-detached factory (RM514 psf of land) and RM16 million for a detached factory (RM335 psf of land), and the median factory rent is RM1.71 psf/month. In Bukit Raja, the 24-month medians are RM9.8 million for a semi-detached factory (RM446 psf of land) and RM14.9 million for a detached factory (RM342 psf of land). These figures do not separate flood-affected lots from dry ones, so a flood history has to be checked lot by lot.

Practical Next Steps

If you operate near i-City, Section 7 or Bukit Raja:

• Note the date, time and depth whenever your road floods, along with a photo. That record helps with insurers, landlords and any complaint to the agencies.
• Report problems to the body responsible: DID for Sungai Rasah and the main drain, JKR for the Federal Highway, MBSA for council drains in Section 7, MBDK on the Klang side.
• Clear your own perimeter drains before the next storm, and keep stock and electrical panels above the highest water level your site has seen.
• Compare your delivery times with the tide table for Port Klang on days of heavy rain, since the mayor links the worst backflow to high tide.

If you are about to rent or buy:

• Ask the owner when the road and the unit last flooded, and how deep the water was. Then visit during or just after heavy rain if you can.
• Compare the factory floor and the loading dock with the road level.
• Confirm that your fire insurance can be extended to cover flood, and put in the lease who pays for clean-up and whether rent stops if the premises cannot be used.
• Ask whether the lot drains to Sungai Rasah or to another system, because the works announced here target this catchment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Federal Highway near i-City keep flooding?

Shah Alam's mayor says the main cause is overflow from Sungai Rasah, which discharges into a DID drain beside the Federal Highway before reaching Sungai Klang. When a high tide lifts Sungai Klang, that main drain is overwhelmed and water backs up into nearby low-lying areas. She said water levels typically recede within 30 minutes.

Where will the new detention pond be built, and who is building it?

The proposed site is Taman Rashna in Klang, and DID will oversee construction together with works to deepen and upgrade the drains along the Federal Highway. No cost has been given. The reports do not give a start or completion date either, so it should be treated as a plan rather than a finished fix.

Is the Taman Rashna pond part of the RM40 million for Bukit Raja?

The reports do not say. Selangor's infrastructure exco said on 18 October that the federal government had approved RM40 million for flash floods around Bukit Raja, including i-City, and that the project was still at the design stage. The Selangor Budget 2027, due on 13 November, may give more detail on state funding.

Should I avoid renting or buying a factory in Section 7 or Bukit Raja because of this?

Not on this news alone. The reports describe flooded roads and short-lived water, not damaged factories, and flood exposure can differ from one lot to the next. Check the record for the exact unit, the floor and dock levels, and the insurance terms before you decide.

What should I expect during this monsoon?

The 2026/2027 Northeast Monsoon was expected to begin on 27 October and last until March 2027, and MetMalaysia forecasts three to five episodes of prolonged heavy rain between November 2026 and January 2027, Bernama reported. Since none of the new works has a reported completion date, sites along this stretch should plan for this monsoon without relying on them.

FactoryHub is dedicated to helping every client find the right factory or warehouse. To ask about a factory or warehouse in Shah Alam or Klang, contact Peter Tan (REN 12771) at 016-666 6872 or Jason Low (PEA 1478) at 012-288 1834.