Residents at Taman Sri Petaling in Kuala Lumpur affected by the construction of the Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya highway through their housing estate were given a surprise visit by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ruslin Hasan this afternoon.

The mayor was speedily given a tour of several houses there which had cracks the occupants said were due to piling works for the new highway just metres away from their homes.

Accompanying Ruslin were several engineers who briefed him on the situation. Ruslin also talked to several house owners and noted their grouses.

Contacted later, Taman Sri Petaling Residents Association representative Lau Kien Foh said he was glad that the mayor had personally came to address their plight.

"He was reasonable enough to listen, rather than shut us out (like Works Minister S Samy Vellu) with no intention of understanding the issue," he said.

Lau said during his one-and-a-half hour visit, Ruslin expressed his concern and acknowledged the severity of the damage caused to the houses.

'Stop work' request

Asked if recent developments regarding criticism against local authorities had influenced Ruslin to visit the site personally, Lau declined to comment but noted that Ruslin was scheduled to meet the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament tomorrow morning.

Last week, Backbenchers Club President and Johor Baru MP Shahrir Abdul Samad and five other had visited the area.

They unanimously said that Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) should issue an immediate stop work order on the portion of the highway in question, to facilitate an independent assessment of the project.

Sharir also said that he would be questioning the mayor about the construction of the highway, among other issues, at the coming PAC meeting which he will chair.

The 26 km KL-Putrajaya highway stretches from Kampung Pandan roundabout to Putrajaya.