Residents at Taman Sri Petaling, objecting to a controversial highway which they say is being built too close to their homes, were dealt a severe blow today when Works Minister S Samy Vellu declared that building works would not stop.

"They want the works stopped. It will not happen. If we stop work, it means we can't build highways in any other major cities (if there are objections)," he told reporters at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

"In the major cities, most of the roads are narrow. We need to upgrade them. All people like to use highways but I suppose only if the highways are built near other people's home," he said sarcastically.

He agreed that the residents could 'take whatever action' against the ministry if they felt the ministry was at fault and that the government would not pay any compensation to the affected residents.

"We don't compensate if we build roads on government land," he added.

The minister also revealed that he had ordered the contractor to raise the highway structure a bit higher while extending the height of the sound-absorbing walls to minimise noise pollution in the area.

'They're upset?'

He said the government 'had no other choice' but to carry on the building works as at least 30 percent of the RM1.3 billion project has been completed.

"Only the cabinet can stop the work. If the cabinet decides to terminate the works, we have to compensate the contractor. It's not easy to stop the project," he said.

The minister also brushed aside reports that the residents were upset over the project which they claimed endangered their lives.

"They said they are upset? When we built the North-South Highway, we'd moved how many houses? Weren't they upset? We had to abolish the poor people's homes, weren't they upset? Why only now they're upset?

"If we provide quality infrastructure to the people, there'll be objections. But if we don't do it, they will blame the government. 'Why don't you upgrade the road?', they'll ask."

The clearly irritated minister continued: "Let us not build any highways. Let's use bullock carts. Let's go from Penang to Kuala Lumpur by bullock cart which will take you one and a half months."

Asked if the matter regarding the highway had been discussed by the cabinet, Samy said the cabinet had decided to carry on with the works.

Upgrade necessary

He stressed that in two years, without the upgraded highway, Sri Petaling residents would not able to use the congested Sungai Besi highway to Kuala Lumpur.

"Residents in Sri Petaling will need five hours to get to work," he said.

Asked if he would discuss the matter with the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club head Shahrir Abdul Samad who had called for an immediate stop of the building works yesterday, Samy Vellu said he had no comment.

Sharir and five other MPs visited the area yesterday and called on the local authority to immediately stop work on the highway.

The 26km KL-Putrajaya Highway project stretches from the Kampung Pandan roundabout in the city to the administrative capital of Putrajaya.