Why is Kidex still part of Selangor’s long-term structural plan? Opponents ask MB Azmin

(Malay Mail Online) – Selangor residents opposed to the RM2.42 billion Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) want Azmin Ali to explain why the controversial highway plan is still part of the state government’s 2035 structural plan.

They argued that the Selangor mentri besar had listed pre-conditions before the project can proceed, and pointed out there were clauses that the developer has yet to fulfil.

The Pakatan Rakyat state government recently issued an advertisement notice in several newspapers that the survey report for the Selangor 2035 state structure plan  (“Laporan Tinjauan Kajian Struktur Negeri Selangor 2035”) was ready for public viewing.

“We did a follow-up and found that this official government document has all the highways included in it. This is a document that is open to public objection and is a legally binding exercise,” Say No to Kidex (SNTK) committee member Mak Khuin Weng told Malay Mail Online.

Among the highways which were mentioned were Kidex, Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (Dash), Serdang-Kinrara-Putrajaya expressway (Skip) and the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang expressway (Suke).

SNTK’s main contention, according to Mak was that the timeline of the report stated that it was approved by the Selangor economic action council back in October, after Azmin had already taken over as mentri besar from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who stepped down in September.

“He has to explain why state government is proceeding with this exercise while he has a set of pre-conditions for the highways,” Mak said.

Azmin said he has laid out three terms that Kidex Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority must follow, adding that the new conditions must be met before the extended concession agreement expires on February 15 next year.

The three conditions are a full public disclosure of Kidex Sdn Bhd’s concession agreement and the proposed toll rates and returns of the highway that also shares the company’s name, and proof through a thorough traffic impact assessment that it would be beneficial to users and residents in Petaling Jaya.

Back in May, then-mentri besar Khalid announced that Kidex is an integral part of Selangor’s new structural plan for 2035.

His reaffirmation back then that the highway, in addition to improving public transportation was necessary for the state’s future growth raised alarm bells among residents opposing the project- fearing that the 14.9km highway plan would be carried out without consent from Selangorians.

The Kidex project has been rejected on three occasions by the Petaling Jaya city council as the developer failed to provide sufficient details.

Under Section 18 of the Town Country and Planning Act, construction cannot start unless a highway fits with the MBPJ’s local plans.

The Kidex highway is currently not incorporated into the council’s blueprint for Petaling Jaya.

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