I refer to the statement yesterday by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Wahid Omar about the controversial Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project that it is for Selangor to give the project the green light because land acquisition comes directly under the state.
His implication that the “ball is in the court” of the Selangor government alone, however, is wrong. It is a federal project that needs state consent, but the federal government has also not yet demonstrated that the conditions set in its own contract with Kidex have been satisfied.
Moreover, the federal government has not responded adequately to concerns raised by residents. In our letter to the Works Minister (on July 3) we noted numerous concerns about Kidex, some of which are:
- Kidex will not result in a substantial reduction in traffic congestion and instead increase traffic congestion on some residential roads;
- Kidex is the most expensive expressway in Malaysia’s history and there are other public transportation solutions that cost just a fraction of the RM2.42 billion needed to finance Kidex;
- Kidex is between 5m to 10m from homes, schools, hospitals and places of worship and causes substantial noise, environmental and aesthetic impacts;
- Kidex risks adverse impacts on the economy and business, all of which are not taken into account by the incomplete and inadequate studies for the project.
The details will show that the information Abdul Wahid chose to share about Kidex is in fact selective citation of the TIA report which ignores other figures that show traffic jams will increase significantly in many other places.
Instead of constantly passing the buck, the Federal government too should explain to the public how the concession agreement was signed using the TIA and EIA that does a poor job at justifying the need for the project.
We urge a discussion of Kidex based on facts, not spin. We believe that all levels of government must fulfill their responsibilities regarding Kidex, which residents have demonstrated, based on sound technical analysis, is fundamentally flawed and should be shelved once and for all.
At the time of this letter, 19 residents groups comprising of resident associations, Rukun Tetangga groups and condominium management boards representing upwards of 30,000 people, have confirmed their opposition to the project.
On a final note, despite our criticisms of the federal government, we will commend Works Minister Fadhillah Yusof for releasing the TIA and EIA documents for public scrutiny.
We wish we could commend the Selangor government in the same manner, but sadly, the Pakatan government has only made promises that remain unfulfilled to date.
MAK KHUIN WENG is a committee member of Say No To Kidex (SNTK).
