Kidex has 3 weeks to comply with Selangor’s conditions, PJ lawmaker reminds

By: Unknown on 2:43 AM

Petaling Jaya residents hold placards rejecting the Kidex highway during a rally yesterday. The highway concessionaire has 3 weeks to comply with conditions set by Selangor before it could be given the go-ahead. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 26, 2015.The concessionaire of the RM2.42 billion Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) has three weeks to comply with the conditions set by Selangor, or the controversial highway would not see the light of day, a DAP lawmaker said.‎Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua said to date, the concessionaire has yet to comply with any of the conditions. They are the traffic impact assessment report, proposed toll rates and profitability, as well as declassification of its concession agreement for public scrutiny. Pua said unless Kidex adhere to the conditions set before its February 14 deadline, there is nothing for the Selangor government to consider or approve."Should Kidex fail to comply with these conditions which have been formally informed to both the Malaysian Highway Authority as well as the concessionaire by the stipulated February 14th deadline, then Kidex has hammered its own nail on its coffin," he said in a statement today.Kidex signed a concession agreement on November 15, 2013, and was given a year to fulfill conditions required in order to start work.Last November, it was granted a three-month extension after failing to achieve several requirements.The 26.1-kilometre highway will start from the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) toll above the Sprint highway at the Damansara interchange, and end at the Damansara Puchong Highway (LDP) at Bandar Kinrara Section 2.Among the areas that could be affected by the project are Tropicana Mall, SS2 Mall, Rothman’s traffic lights, Section 14, Amcorp Mall, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, Jalan Templer
roundabout, Taman Datuk Harun, Taman Medan Baru and Bandar Kinrara.Petaling Jaya residents, led by pressure group Say No To Kidex (SNTK), have been campaigning to increase awareness and support against the multi-billion ringgit project, expressing fears that it will bring about more traffic jams and deteriorating quality of life.Things reached a head yesterday when Selangor representatives including Pua, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo and Subang MP R. Sivarasa, were barred from speaking at a protest against Kidex and another proposed highway, Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (DASH).An argument occurred when SNTK protem co-chairman Dr Mohan Mahatheva told off Pua and his group who were about to go onstage to address the 400-over crowd gathered at Dataran Petaling Jaya.They were asked to hold their own forum to explain to the residents of Petaling Jaya and Damansara their "failure" to help stop the contentious projects.Expressing his surprise over yesterday's turn of events, Pua stressed that the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor has not approved Kidex."The failure of Kidex to comply with the clear and strict conditions by the Selangor state government would automatically mean that the highway project will not even be considered for approval, much less be given the approval to proceed," he said.He said this had been clearly outlined by Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali in his first official visit to Petaling Jaya on October 31 last year when explaining the terms by which Kidex and any other new highway had to comply before being given consideration by the state government.He also said the highway was approved and awarded by Putrajaya, and that any unhappiness should be directed at the parties who approved and awarded the project.He said the SNTK committee, with whom Azmin met in November last year, were told and had agreed that Kidex would have until February 14 to comply with the conditions stipulated by the state government.In denying claims that the state government was adopting delaying tactics by not immediately rejecting Kidex, Pua said Pakatan believed in the rule of law and as such, every party should be given the right to respond and justify their case."If even a murderer gets his day in court, then surely Kidex must be given an opportunity to prove their case and comply with any minimum requirements which are set by the state. We would assume that such a government which acts on facts and figures would be preferable to one which acts on its whims and fancies," he said.He said the Petaling Jaya City Council had taken the "extraordinary step" of directly engaging a traffic consultant to review and verify the Traffic Impact Assessment submitted by the concessionaire, and that the report was currently being finalised."Under such circumstances, how can the menteri besar now come out and arbitrarily reject Kidex well before the agreed upon deadline?" he asked.Pua also refuted claims that Pakatan leaders were completely silent over the Kidex issue, describing them as "malicious lies" by certain leaders within SNTK to incite hatred and anger towards the elected representatives and state government.He said he had issued at least "half-a-dozen statements" on the matter, while Petaling Jaya representatives Rajiv Rishyakaran, Yeo Bee Yin and Lau Weng San had also voiced their objections to the project."None of these statements were in support of Kidex, most of which questioned the rationale and justification for the highway. One would just have to Google to see the statements on record," he said. – January 26, 2015.