Nurul Izzah’s Inquiry to Nong Chik on New Walkways in KL Goes Unanswered
by Haider Yutim, Malaysian Digest
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 FEBRUARY 2011: PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar said she still has not received answers from the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister and the mayor of Kuala Lumpur to the questions that she had recently raised with regards to the new walkways in Kuala Lumpur city center.
One of the questions she asked was how much is the total cost for the entire walkways is including the cost for its maintenance seeing as the walkway is air-conditioned. Others include whether an open tender has been made for it construction and if there are any cheaper options?
In a press conference held under the newly opened RM10 million pedestrian walkway connecting Kuala Lumpur Convention Center and Impiana Hotel, Nurul Izzah also compared the walkway to that of the underground pedestrian walkways in Singapore. According to her, the Singapore ones would cost higher as they were built underground but surprisingly the building costs only came up to $S14,000 (RM33,400) per meter whereas the KLCC walkway costs RM70,422 per meter.
She also said that in a forum conducted by DBKL and Federal Territories Ministry last year, they have invited Singapore’s Transport Authorities to consult them on building walkways but somehow the walkways there, (Singapore) which would be expected to cost higher to build, is much cheaper.
She added that Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad had also been reported to invest a total cost of RM30 million in the project.
She added that although both are Petronas’ and Prasarana’s money, since they are GLCs, the funds need to be accounted for.
“I would like to ask to the Federal Territories Minister and also the mayor of KL how construction cost for the RM70,422 per meter walkway was calculated and concluded. Are there any special formulas that conclude the real cost which is funded by Petronas and Prasarana?” she said.
