I am shocked by a statement by Lee Hui Seng of Sungai Buloh who claims he speaks on behalf of the ‘silent majority’ that wants the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (Dash), published in the News Straits Times on May 5, 2015.

As a Bukit Gasing resident affected by the Kidex, I would like to repeat that both Kidex and Dash were proven to be using flawed environmental and traffic studies filled with contradictory facts.

Lee’s assertion is akin to the equally flawed studies presented by the highway concessionaires - a statement with no evidence or facts to ascertain if the ‘silent majority’ actually exist or even wants these highways.

Please go do a poll with the Selangor public and tell them that the highways come with a 48-year (Kidex) and a 68-year (Dash) concession period to collect tolls and see how many are willing to support such a blatant rip-off project designed to cheat the public.

Of course there will be those who do support these highway projects like Lee. After all, a simple Google search will tell you he is the director of Reinforced Earth Malaysia Sdn Bhd with the job scope listed as ‘Retaining walls for highways, roads, bridges, ramps and housing and commercial development projects’.

But that is not my only criticism of Lee who is a Selangor Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) representative . Since he represents Selangor Gerakan and since both Kidex and Dash fall within Bukit Gasing and Bukit Lanjan that are traditionally contested by Gerakan, I will assume Lee’s silent message to the public is that a vote for Gerakan is a vote for these highways.

Based on the last general election, Gerakan lost Bukit Gasing and Bukit Lanjan to DAP and PKR respectively. That means the ‘silent majority’ rejected these tolled-highways in 2013.

We will remember too in the next GE that these tolled highways are also part of Gerakan’s ‘silent manifesto’ and we voters will do our own ‘silent voting’ to tell you what the ‘silent majority’ really think of these stupid highways.

 

ANANTHESWARAN LECHMIANNANDAN is a resident of Section 12, Petaling Jaya.