In a Facebook post, the Pekan MP said that RM3 billion had been allocated for the “large-scale flood mitigation project” at the time.

“The project started in 2007 and continued until 2009, but began to stall when the then Pakatan Rakyat government took over Selangor after the 12th general election,” he said, adding that the project was eventually scrapped in 2011.

“If this water canal could reduce the risk of floods as well as increase Selangor’s raw water reserves, I think there is a need to review the implementation of this project.”

He explained that the project was to be built just south of the Shah Alam Municipal Council, around Taman Sri Muda and Kota Kemuning.

It involved the construction of an 18km water canal spanning from Klang to Hulu Langat and connecting the Klang River to the Langat River, with the aim of diverting 30% of the water from the former to the latter during peak hours. Several secondary canals would have also been built.

Najib also provided links to news reports on the project and its eventual cancellation.

“It was reported in February 2011 that the state government had decided that the Canal City project would not deliver any major benefits and so they cancelled it.

“However, the land on which the project was to be built was eventually sold by the Selangor Pakatan government at a very low price to a developer just two weeks before the 13th general election (in May 2013),” he said.