Kuala lumpur: MUFG Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (MUFG) and Affin Bank Berhad (Affin) will sponsor the operating costs of Interceptor 002 to ensure the smooth running of the Sungai Klang clean-up. Selangor Agriculture and Infrastructure Committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim announced that Affin Bank will provide RM1.5 million over three years, while MUFG will contribute a one-off RM250,000.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project, part of the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, has so far succeeded in collecting nearly 500,000 tonnes of rubbish and mud from the nearly 56-kilometre-long river. The clean-up aims to restore the river within five years. Datuk Izham Hashim explained that the river, which is four meters deep, was found to have an average of three meters filled with rubbish and mud. The ongoing dredging and clean-up efforts have returned the river to its original depth, though further work is needed to reinforce the riverbank.

The strategic collaboration between Affin Bank, MUFG, and SMG was officially marked at a ceremony attended by the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin. Her Royal Highness signed a plaque symbolizing the partnership and observed the Interceptor 002 in action. The solar-powered automated garbage collection barge efficiently traps and collects floating rubbish in Sungai Klang before it enters the sea.

Also present at the event were Affin Bank president and Group CEO Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah Wan Ali, and the Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, Shikata Noriyuki.