Fadillah claims KIDEX project meets all prerequisites

Project cancelled due to concessionaire's failure to furnish independent Traffic Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and EIA.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry, through the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), has met all the stated prerequisites for the implementation of the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (KIDEX) project.

Its minister, Fadillah Yusof in a statement today, said all processes, procedures and prerequisites concerning the project had been met and submitted to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Selangor Economic Action Council, and had also received the conditional approval from the state government on February 23, 2012.

The Traffic Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment had also been submitted on July 7, 2014, he said.

Fadillah said KIDEX was one of the solutions to the issue of traffic congestion in the Klang Valley and Petaling Jaya, besides the proposal to build several other expressways in a bid to create road networks and a more systematic public transportation system.

“In this context, the federal government will refer to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to seek legal advice and relevant input about the Selangor government’s decision to cancel the project as the concession agreement has been signed by the federal government and the concessionaire,” he explained.

Fadillah said the ministry would also meet with Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali to discuss the cancellation of KIDEX and to ensure that whatever decision made on the issue would benefit the majority of the people.

Last Monday, Mohamed Azmin announced that the Selangor government had decided to cancel the project following the concessionaire’s failure to comply with three conditions set by the February 14 deadline.

The menteri besar said the conditions included an independent Traffic Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment to prove the project was beneficial to residents.

In a similar development, Fadillah said the local authorities and the concessionaire had convened multiple engagement sessions with 76 residents’ associations and 172 neighbourhood watch groups since August 2014, as well as the private sector and business community, to explain and seek their feedback on the project.

He said public exhibitions had also been held at the MBPJ and Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), followed by the gazetting of the project under the MPSJ Local Plan 2020 (Amendment 1) on May 9, 2013.

Fadillah said several discussions had also been held between members of MBPJ, LLM, Engineering Division and the concessionaire to provide a thorough explanation on the project.

He said the MBPJ had also appointed a traffic planner and consultant to make traffic impact assessments, to study the original destination, to analyse costs and interests as well as other aspects concerning the project.

“Their report was tabled to the technical committee chaired by MBPJ on January 21, 2015 and to the relevant state assemblymen and Members of Parliament on January 27, 2015,” he said.

According to the concessionaire’s website, the RM2.42 billion KIDEX project was proposed to start at the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) near Damansara and end at Bukit Jalil Highway near Kinrara.

KIDEX is a fully elevated highway comprising a 14.9 km main line and 11.2 km of ramps, believed to be able to meet the needs of residents in north-south Klang Valley and to reduce traffic congestion on the Damansara Puchong Highway (LDP) by up to 30%.

– BERNAMA