By Selangor Journal Team
SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 — The West Coast Expressway (WCE), when completed, will further spur the development of the Sabak Bernam Development Area (Sabda) while facilitating mobility for road users across the Klang Valley.
In a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari expressed confidence that the highway would yield positive spillover effects on Sabda.
“As of September 30, the WCE project has achieved an average progress of 88.7 per cent. It will have (positive) economic and social impacts on Sabda,” he said today.
Previously in September, WCE Holdings Bhd chief executive officer Lyndon Alfred Felix had said that the firm aims to complete four sections of the highway currently under construction by the end of the current financial year ending on March 31, 2024.
These sections — Sections 1, 2, 6, and 11 — will link to major highways, namely the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar), and North-South Expressway (PLUS) respectively, all situated within the Klang Valley.
Sections 3, 4, and 7, meanwhile, are scheduled for completion by the 2025 financial year.
Felix had anticipated heightened traffic flow upon the opening of these sections, citing their strategic locations in high-traffic areas in Selangor, connectivity to major highways, and increased opportunities for medium to long-distance transportation and commercial vehicles.
Meanwhile, Amirudin reiterated the significance of Sabda’s development in bolstering food security in the state, noting an expected investment influx of approximately RM1.9 billion and the creation of 3,600 jobs for local residents.
He said Sabda, which is part of the First Selangor Plan, is also geared towards supporting agricultural projects and advancing the blue economy — economic activities associated with seas and oceans.
“Among the infrastructure developments are the Sungai Panjang Firefly Conservation Centre, Ban Canal eco-tourism project, Smart Selangor Agro Park, high-tech fishing centre in Sekinchan, sweet water business centre, and a local construction and maintenance centre for fishing boats and ships on Sungai Lang,’’ he said.
Additionally, Amirudin said the state is also currently pursuing certification from the European Union (EU) for major fishing projects under Sabda.
Last October, Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) economic and financial division chief Zannifa Azura Ahmad had said the state is targeting EU certification for its new fishing port and processing plant in Sungai Lang, which is one of the large-scale projects under the Sabda initiative.
She said this is key in ensuring the facility meets the highest possible standard, to promote the district as a key economic development zone, and considering the port is expected to welcome large vessels plying the Indian Ocean.
