Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif has expressed her vision of seeing the Klang River become swimmable in the future, inspired by the transformation of the River Seine in Paris.
She shared this aspiration while officiating the Klang River Festival 2025 (KRF 2025) on Thursday.
Maimunah admitted that the dream may not materialise during her tenure but voiced optimism that her successors and the community would continue the effort.
“What I might achieve during my tenure, I hope my successor will continue. I look forward to seeing Kuala Lumpur become a city for everyone — not just humans, but also flora, fauna, and stakeholders of all ages and backgrounds,” she told Malay Mail.
She recalled how Paris took nearly a decade to clean up the Seine, long plagued by pollution, before it became the venue for the 2024 Olympic open-water swimming competitions — the first urban river to host such an event since the Games were revived in 1896.
“I have seen this during my time with the United Nations. Maybe one day we can swim in the Klang River too,” she added.
Reflecting on her tenure as Seberang Perai City Council president in 2012, Maimunah said she once proposed cleaning Sungai Juru to make it swimmable, an idea many dismissed.
“People called me crazy because fish would die instantly in the river back then. But recently the Penang chief minister launched a river cruise there. So I think it’s okay to dream,” she said.
She expressed full support for KRF 2025, describing it as aligned with Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s green connectivity initiative, and called for its expansion to link with the federal government’s River of Life project.
“We need to bring in the people, not just civil servants, but also residents who benefit from these conservation efforts,” she stressed.
KRF 2025 runs from Sept 26 to Oct 5 along a 1.8-kilometre stretch of Old Klang Road Riverside near Millerz Square, transforming the riverfront into a space celebrating culture, sustainability, and the enduring bond between people and the river.
