[Mar 2014] 

A collection of write up's under The Edge. Good read.

SHAH ALAM (March 31):  Residents living along the proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) or Kidex Skyway are demanding for the government to be transparent on the RM2.3 billion project.

According to the residents, officials of Kidex Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire that has been awarded the project, had withheld information from residents during a series of public hearings so far, saying it was “classified.”

David Yoong Lai Hon, secretary of Say No To Kidex pro-tem committee, said residents were not informed under which law the information is supposedly classified. “They did not tell us,” he said at a press conference after delivering a memorandum to the state government.

About 20 people representing 12 residents associations had submitted a memorandum to the Selangor government today, calling for transparency and accountability on the project, touted to affect 3,784 landowners.

However, Kidex had reportedly said that less than 10% of them, mostly industrial lots, will be finally acquired. The Edge had reported on Dec 3 last year that the controversial, privately funded 14.9km skyway has received the government’s go-ahead.

Moreover, even the relevant state assembly members are unable to divulge any detailed information to residents and have referred them to Kidex.

Yoong said under Sections 3 and 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, the publication of the gazette indicates that the state government is already satisfied that the lots of land are needed for ‘public purpose’ or beneficial to the economic development of any part of the country or public. “If that is so, then the residents are entitled to know about the details of the project,” he said.

Residents have also been kept in the dark over the impact of the projects. Repeated requests for pertinent reports such as the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and Traffic Impact Assessment have not been heeded by Kidex Sdn Bhd. Say No To Kidex committee member Selve Sugumaran Perumal, who was present, said residents have been requesting for a total of 12 reports.

“None of the reports have been made available to us so far, despite several requests and reminders,” he said. “The representative from Kidex said in a briefing that the information is classified, he would be sent to jail for revealing it and asked me if I would like to join him in prison. “My answer is yes. At least then I get to read the reports,” he added.

Discrepancy over timeline of the awarding of highway contract However, former Petaling Jaya City councillor KW Mak, who was also present, said there is also a discrepancy to the way the concession agreement was awarded.

He said although concession agreement was only awarded to Kidex in December last year, the Selangor government had issued a gazette published on July 18, 2013 that the 3,784 lots have been targeted for acquisition. “

You will need to approve the project first before notices informing landowners of a possible acquisition can be issued,” he said. “So we really want to know what is going on,” he added.

Kidex is reportedly controlled by Umno lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun and the wife of former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi. The concessionaire, formerly known as Konsortium Zabima Emrail, is a merger of two companies Zabima Engineering and Construction Sdn Bhd and Emrail Sdn Bhd. Hafarizam is a director in both firms while Zaki’s wife, Toh Puan Nik Sazlina Mohd Zain, is a director in Emrail.

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had further alleged two years ago that Zaki and Hafarizam were awarded the contract as a boon for aiding Barisan Nasional (BN) to topple the Pakatan Rakyat state government, which led to the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009.

Although the company did not disclose the cost of the project, earlier reports had indicated that Kidex Skyway will cost RM2.2 billion. Kidex said the project starts from the NKVE Damansara toll plaza and will pass through Petaling Jaya and Puchong and link up to the Bukit Jalil Highway. The skyway will include seven interchanges.

‘Pakatan Rakyat is also responsible for this’

Residents are also demanding answers from the Pakatan-led state government as to reasons for awarding necessary approvals for the project.

Selve said Pakatan had earlier pledged to abolish tolls but had obviously backtracked on its promise, as the Kidex highway will sport tolls. “Any permission given by the local council or state government to the concessionaire to construct a highway through a built-up city like Petaling Jaya, under their governance, is contrary to the pledge they had made,” he said.

He said the highway is also contrary to environmentally sustainable policies of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), particularly plans to reduce the urban area’s carbon footprint, encourage sustainable development and public transport usage.

Residents are opposing the project due to the potential contributions to traffic congestion in a crowded city like Petaling Jaya, property devaluation and increased noise pollution.

The highway is also touted to pass closely by schools, mosques and houses, with the closest at 5m to the Sri Petaling primary school.