SHAH ALAM, Feb 18 — Determined to ensure the controversial Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) never materialises, the group opposed to the highway project warned Putrajaya today that even Cabinet’s intervention would not stop them from protesting.
Explaining their reasons, the group calling themselves Say No To Kidex (SNTK) pointed out to reporters that their members are residents directly affected by the RM2.42 billion project and for the sake of their community, they would never back down.
“If they still come in, we are there. We live there. So don’t expect us to go away,” Section 52 resident Syed Izzuddin Alshahab said today as the group presented Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali with flowers, mandarin oranges and a memorandum.
The gifts to Azmin today was the group’s way of thanking Azmin for pulling Selangor’s approval for the project.
On Monday, Azmin said the developers of Kidex had failed to meet terms his administration had set before a February 15 deadline, which was why the state government was axing the project.
He said Kidex did not disclose various reports for the project such as a traffic impact assessment, a social impact assessment and an environmental impact assessment, besides failing to reveal the toll rates and full concession agreement.
Following Selangor’s announcement, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the following day that he will take the highway project back to the Cabinet for a decision.
The federal government had over the weekend approved another extension of the Kidex highway project, from February 15 to November 14.
SNTK vice-chairman Selva Sugumaran Perumal insisted today, however, that even with the backing of the federal government, Kidex could not proceed unless it obtains Selangor’s approval.
“The Selangor state government must approve the acquisition of land, the acquisition of private property for Kidex to be built.
“If the Selangor government is firm in its resolve and Kidex is cancelled and they do not give the land, no way kidex can be built,” Selva said.
The cancellation of the RM2.42 billion highway project came after Selangor residents held a protest last month against Kidex and the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway highway project.
SNTK also asked that the Kidex project be removed from the exploratory report in the Selangor State Structural Plan 2035 as it is now “redundant” following its cancellation.
“SNTK is making this reasonable request as there is no further need for Kidex to be inserted in the draft report as the Menteri Besar has already decided that the project is cancelled,” the group’s press statement read.
Meanwhile, Kidex Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus has said in a statement that the concessionaire was waiting feedback from the federal government as both Kidex Sdn Bhd and the latter are parties to the Concession Agreement.
