124 | theceomagazine.com
TALK.”
“You have to
WALK
the
Kuala Lumpur’s bustling city centre was
once plagued by flooding and daily traffic
gridlock. Then SMART came along.
WORDS HOLLY JOHNSON • IMAGES ROB WALLERI
n 2007, Kuala Lumpur’s recurring
flooding and traffic congestion
problems were mitigated by a new
‘smart’ system. The longest and most
technologically advanced tunnel in
Malaysia, the Stormwater Management
and Road Tunnel (SMART) was built under
the supervision of the federal government
and implemented through a joint venture
between MMC Corporation and Gamuda
with Malaysia’s Highway Authority and the
Department of Irrigation and Drainage.
Stretching 9.7 kilometres and
accommodating more than 30,000 cars a day,
the dual-purpose tunnel lives up to its name.
In the event of a flood, rainwater is diverted
to its lower channel, while the upper level
remains open to traffic, significantly relieving
congestion at Kuala Lumpur’s main Southern
Gateway. Over the past decade, SMART has
created cost and time savings. Having already
been used more than 200 times to divertfloodwater, the tunnel converts 15-minute
commutes into four-minute trips and has
saved billions of dollars in flood damage costs.
Now a key player in the enhancement
and maintenance of the RM1.9 billion
project, Sharifah Alauyah joined SMART’s
headquarters, Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir
& Terowong, as COO in June 2016. Highly
distinguished in the industry, Sharifah holds
a postgraduate Diploma in Environmental
Engineering from the Netherlands, a
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Civil
Engineering from the UK, and a Diploma in
Civil Engineering from Malaysia. Prior to her
current role, she served water concessionaire
Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor
(SPLASH) for more than 15 years, following
a period in the infrastructure and the
environment sector. Backed by her diverse
experience, Sharifah was instrumental in
enhancing the operational efficiency of
SPLASH’s water treatment plants. »INVEST | Interview