Meeting cancelled as Kidex proven to be dishonest
Terence Fernandez, fz.com
Did officials of Kidex Sdn Bhd mislead the public when it alluded to having done the necessary studies for the proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) Highway?
This is because a preliminary Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) report was only submitted to Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councilors two weeks ago – way after the disasterous May 16 public hearing which was aborted.
This also means that the TIA study was only done this year, hence Kidex was probably not truthful when it espoused the benefits of the project which would have low adverse effects on the population.
“Prior assertions by Kidex that all relevant reports have already been handed over to the local authorities following the aborted briefing on May 16 are manifestly inaccurate and wholly untrue,” said a joint statement by councillors Lee Suet Sen, Cynthia Gabriel and Tang Fuie Koh.
With this rushed job that only sampled 82 junctions of the proposed 14km elevated highway, it expected MBPJ – which had already rejected the project three times for lack of details – to approve the project.
A meeting between MBPJ, people’s representatives, Kidex and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) scheduled for today was postponed to June 13, to enable Kidex to submit all the necessary reports and give time for MBPJ to study the TIA.
The June 13 meeting will also see the entry of the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department (JPBD) to chair the meeting.
This causes concerns as Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is claimed to be supportive of the project.
This latest turn of events concerning the RM2.24 billion project further compounds the perception that the highway concessionaires which have been hiding behind the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in refusing to divulge details about the highway have not been forthcoming.
Councillor Lee said Kidex Sdn Bhd had not satisfied the conditions needed to make any changes to the Town Country and Planning Act (TCPA). Furthermore, it was not included in the Petaling Jaya Draft Plan. “They submitted the preliminary TIA only two weeks ago. Now they say they need until end of June to submit all the necessary reports.
“How can we approve? Even after looking at the preliminary report I can tell you we won’t approve it,” he told fz.com tonight.
Meanwhile, MBPJ is hiring independent consultants to come up with its own traffic assessment report.
Hence now without the necessary studies, Kidex had said it would need to acquire property and land along the grid to build the highway.
This has caused uncertainty for over 3,000 property owners from Kinrara to Tropicana (the length of the highway) who are facing a dilemma of whether to sell their property or look for new homes due to the possible acquisition.
‘Kidex focuses on commercial vehicles’
Kidex CEO Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus did not return calls or messages but in a private meeting with fz.com in April, he said there is a possibility on 65 lots of land may be acquired
On the secrecy of the project he said: “I have no problems I divulging the details but I am bound by the OSA, I cannot break the law.”
He had also said that while the focus of the general public was on private vehicles, Kidex was concerned with the increase in commercial vehicles due to the rapid development in the Klang Valley.
‘MBPJ was right to reject Kidex’
Meanwhile former MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez said the preliminary TIA given to councillors prior to the now cancelled June 6 meeting confirms that the council was correct in stating that Kidex did not submit all relevant documents to MBPJ.
“MBPJ was correct in rejecting Kidex. The preliminary TIA confirms that traffic sampling in 82 junction counts were only done in 2014 only and MBPJ was informed that the final report can only be ready in late June.
“Coucillors of MBPJ acted properly in stating Kidex had not submitted relevant documents to enable MBPJ to exercise its statutory duty contrary to what was claimed by Kidex that all documents were submitted,” Fernandez said.
He also raised concerns over the involvement of the JPBD at this juncture.
“Why is the state getting involved at this stage when basic documents have not even been submitted to MBPJ to enable them to evaluate if an amendment to local plans is justified.
“MBPJ will have to engage an independent traffic consultant to evaluate Kidex’s TIA when it is completed.
“In the meantime it may be necessary to review the intention to aquire land notices as this may have been done without a proper determination whether such an elevated highway actually benefits PJ in the absence of the TIA and other relevant documents.
“The legal process requires that all relevant documents be brought to MBPJ’s attention and the council must exercise its powers having regard to relevant considerations and reasonableness, they must not act under dictation of outside parties and must not take into irrelevant considerations,” he said.
