15 December 2025
By Bethany Chu Sook Teng
Malaysia’s Klang River sits at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s urban life and culture but has been polluted with industrial waste and public space littering. Can KongsiKL revive and take care of the river by organising its flagship Klang River Festival?
The Klang River is a modern city icon for Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Boasting a rich and long history that dates back to 300 BC, the river has evolved from historical settlements, to tin mine trading ports, to industrial era economic hubs that spurred the surrounding city’s growth. However, the development has taken a huge toll on the environmental wellbeing of the river and its surrounding communities.
Today, the river has been demoted from being the centre of the town to an eyesore to be ignored, nothing more than a waste dump and a flood risk. Much of the river’s water is too polluted for any practical or recreational use. As the river flows through the active shipping port of Port Klang, it naturally accumulates a variety of waste, originating from industrial operations, sewage treatment facilities, and household sources. Poorly managed sewage discharge and waste disposal has rendered its waters very polluted. Among the pollutants are heavy metals that severely threaten human health, with effects ranging from physical and neurological impairments to cancer. The river was also the second-largest contributor of plastic waste entering the ocean. The river has been demoted from being the center of the city
The Kuala Lumpur City Council has pledged ambitious plans to restore and transform the river into a community space, but has faced setbacks and delays. And the local Kuala Lumpur community stands to lose the most. Despite high-level government initiatives such as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s (JPS) “Program Denai Sungai Kebangsaan” (DSK), or National River Trail Programme, the Klang River remains neglected. Its revitalisation efforts are hampered by ineffectiveness and ambiguity regarding ownership and responsibility between the public and the government.
KongsiKL, a nonprofit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, decides to draw the spirit of the ambitious River of Life restoration project into their own hands, by connecting communities to the river’s conservation efforts. Led by President Joseph Foo, KongsiKL started the Klang River Festival (KRF) to celebrate life by the river through art and nature-based community sessions. Their goal is to re-establish a feeling of community, belonging, and inclusion in the river’s future. They achieve this by leveraging the river and activating the spaces along its banks through dialogue sessions and platforms for showcases and exhibitions.
By bringing stakeholders, artists, government officials and the general public together, the festival will encourage mutual cooperation by transforming the river into a common asset and shared responsibility between different parties.
Drawing inspiration from renowned riverside destinations such as Singapore’s Clarke Quay and Kyoto’s Kamo River, Foo said the 1.8-kilometre corridor where KRF will take place is the “perfect spot” to transform the Klang River into a hive of vibrant activity.
Wyn Hee, KRF’s programming director, highlights the festival’s four pillars—heritage, environment, community, and creative—which promote inclusivity. Ultimately, KRF seeks to revitalise the river into a sustainable landmark that reconnects the community. KRF plans and executes urban sustainability management projects, pulling in legal and fundraising expertise from their big team of locals.
Since 2022, KongsiKL has held events in iconic Downtown Kuala Lumpur heritage buildings to boost public awareness of the Klang River’s importance. This is achieved by showcasing alternative lifestyles and effective public space usage, aiming to improve the Klang River Valley.
KRF’s activities include diverse art forms such as visual arts exhibitions, dialogues with town planners and developers, performances, workshops, creative installations, curated markets, heritage walks, and film screenings.
The theme for KRF 2025, “Act!vating!”, focuses on action, movement, and togetherness, encouraging people to rediscover the Klang River as a cherished part of the city’s history.
After a fourth successful year of the festival, Foo sees an ambitious movement to continue KRF along the entire 120 km stretch of the Klang River. He hopes that the festival signals an open invitation for other nonprofits to collaborate to create a cleaner, greener, and happier Kuala Lumpur.
By actively hosting and increasing the scale of their events the KRF has gained the government’s attention and are now being included in the local government’s annual agenda.
With more people aware of KRF’s commitment to the river, it inspires individuals to take care of it and potentially start more efforts to advocate for the whole length of the river as well as other rivers locally and abroad.
Foo expressed the dream of turning the river into a public space, not just an embankment. He hopes buildings will eventually face the river again, noting that most have turned their backs over the past 30-40 years due to the river’s condition, making this a good starting point for change. Ultimately, their dream involves fostering stewardship and transforming the city through new public spaces.
Edited by Bryan Yong
Klang River Festival is an annual open festival that utilises various art forms to raise awareness and advocate for the conservation of Klang River. Based in Downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a central focus on a 1.8km stretch along Old Klang Road Riverside near Millerz Square, Klang River Festival focuses on encouraging sustainability and instilling cultural awareness tied to the river. You can reach out to them at their official website https://www.klangriverfestival.com/, Facebook Klang River Festival, and Instagram Klang River Festival (@klangriverfestival) • Instagram photos and videos accounts.
This article is made possible by Green Vibes Only, a student project led by students from the Methodist College Kuala Lumpur.
Bethany is a student at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur. She is a novice writer under Green Vibes Only MCKL. She enjoys researching and carrying out studies on her favourite topics for fun.
