Just look at the massive construction projects going on in Petaling Jaya along Jalan Utara and across from the Petaling Jaya New Town Centre. What rubbish are they talking about making Petaling Jaya a "liveable city" when it is being turned into a concrete jungle despite the Pakatan Rakyat having been in control of the Selangor State government for six years now.
We clearly know your true colours now.
No2KiDEX
Anti-highway groups plan rally to gather support
BY MELATI A JALIL
Published: 18 January 2015 12:48 PM
Two anti-highway pressure groups have joined forces to hold a rally next Sunday to express disappointment over what they said was the failure of the Selangor and federal governments to listen to their grouses.
Say No to Kidex (SNTK) and Say No to DASH (SNTD) said they expect a good turnout after several residents associations, churches and mosques confirmed their participation.
The rally will be held at Dataran Petaling Jaya, from 10am to noon.
"We are doing this because we have met with the Selangor menteri besar and works minister. We have submitted a lot of letters, reports, documents, scientific evidence... but they have yet to reply and address the concerns," said SNTK's spokesman Mak Khuin Weng today.
"They continue to pass the buck on who is responsible approving and cancelling the project... They do not want to address the issues," he said.
Mak (pic, right) said among the objectives of the rally was to highlight how the government had failed to address their grouses.
"This is kind of our last resort, because despite all our engagements, doing everything through legal means, we are not getting any response on the status of these projects."
He said they had received a permit from the police to hold the rally and had even rented the venue for the occassion.
"We are doing this rally legally, we have rented the premises and got police permit for it.
"If Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional still want to continue with the projects after this (rally), then they have to answer to the voters," he said.
He hoped the public would join the rally to show their support and make their stand known.
"I think the government too should make a stand and set a precedent that no elevated highway should run so closely to any residential areas. If this can happen, what is it going to say in future?" asked SNTD spokesman Michelle Wong.
"This is the message we want to tell, if this can happen to us, it can happen to anyone."
According to the groups, Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, a non-profit group, had provided them a report that stated Kidex and the highway in general poses a health risk to children and residents living within 500 metres from the highways.
Kidex, they claimed, would be located 5 metres from two schools, 7 metres from Masjid Tun Abdul Aziz in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, 10 metres from residential homes and 20 metres from the Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital.
Meanwhile, DASH would be located about 11 metres from residential homes and 10 metres from a church, and would cut through thousands of residential houses within 500 metres of gap. – January 18, 2015.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/anti-highway-groups-plan-rally-to-gather-support
Pakatan, it’s time to start looking at your own backyard – Joe Rakyat
Published: 18 January 2015 5:39 PM
"We are doing this because we have met with the Selangor menteri besar... We have submitted a lot of letters, reports, documents... but they have yet to reply and address the concerns," – Mak Khuin Weng, Say No To Kidex (SNTK).
Pakatan Rakyat – should Selangor voters be concerned about the above? Is this the beginning of the making of another Barisan Nasional (BN) style of governance – promises galore but not really intent on keeping them? Didn’t your Buku Jingga state, “No highway, no tolls”?
It is nice to see a photo of Selangor MB Mohamed Azmin Ali helping to clean up the house of a grateful-someone badly affected by the flood.
It is also nice to see Tony Pua raise the issue of 1MDB incessantly, or for Rafizi Ramli to go after the NFC/GST or for Kula Segaran to demand answers on custodial deaths, or for Lim Kit Siang to harp on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lack of leadership.
But why is that no one seems to have the time nor presence of mind, to adequately reply SNTK’s concern?
Why are we reading statements such as this – "they continue to pass the buck on who is responsible approving and cancelling the project... They do not want to address the issues”?
Has Pakatan too mastered the art of passing the buck?
I thought we’d only be reading such statements when it came to BN’s response; not from the likes of Pakatan politicians who, day and night, are on BN’s throat in matters of governance.
One of the gripes people have with Pakatan politicians is that, they are good at protesting the “big” issues. When it comes to GST/NFC/1MDB, or any gaffe by BN policy makers, Pakatan chaps are immediately out of the blocks in protest mode.
But when it comes to governance on local matters, they seem to be no different from BN – almost invisible and just as ineffective.
And that might tell us why Kajang still has no plans for traffic management, in spite of the promise made in the last by-election.
And I need not remind everyone of the continued frustration over Petaling Jaya New Town’s one-way loop – three months on, but signage and traffic diversion remains haphazard.
We cannot be rid of the failure of past people in charge. But we can avoid their mistakes. And one of the mistakes that Pakatan can avoid is that of not fulfilling electoral promises.
Pakatan Selangor – how much longer are you going to expect people’s support of you, because of their dislike for BN, instead of your actual performance?
If today you could renege on your general election manifesto of no more tolled roads, then how many more electoral promises can we expect you guys to break? “Harapan Buku Jingga sudah mula pudar”?
MPs and assemblymen have to realise that they represent the people who elected them to office; and that is above even their own personal or party convictions. Are they prepared to represent that, or are they more interested in the perks and the position?
The rakyat want more than an MB/MP/assemblymen who gives his or her contact number to deal with uncollected rubbish; they want to see an office bearer who keeps electoral promises – and listens to constituents’ gripes.
Remember, remember, what it was that booted BN out of Selangor. Do not assume voters will still maintain their affections come next general election. – January 18, 2015.
* Joe Rakyat reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/pakatan-its-time-to-start-looking-at-your-own-backyard-joe-rakyat
DASH highway too close for comfort, say residents BY MOHD FARHAN DARWIS
Published: 17 December 2014 9:55 AM
The proposed Damansara-Shah Alam expressway (DASH) is too close to the proximity of residential homes, with some sections barely 30 metres away, said a group comprising concerned residents.
Say No To DASH (SNTD) spokesperson Michelle Wong said this was among some of the flaws the group found in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for DASH.
She said along one of the stretches, the EIA failed to recognise the consequences of building a 19-metre elevated highway which is only about 11.2 metres and 14 metres from two high density condominium blocks respectively.
"Even (Selangor) Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali was shocked by this," she said after meeting Azmin to discuss about the project at his office in Shah Alam yesterday.
Wong said the group was only against the building of the stretch in Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara as both areas were densely populated and undergoing rapid development.
"We can't accept the highway going through Damansara Perdana. Our stand is clear that no highway should cut through residential areas. We, however, agree that it should go through Shah Alam as residents there have no other alternative routes," she said.
"Elevated highway should not go through densely populated residential areas," said Wong.
She also claimed Damansara Perdana residents were not consulted in the impact study done by the developer, Prolintas Bhd.
All the 10 residents' groups and condominium management bodies told us they were not consulted prior to the project," she said.
Overall, she said only 165 residents, representing three sections of the highway, were interviewed which she said did not represent the total number of people affected by the project.
"That is why we said there were some flaws in the EIA report," she said.
Wong also pointed out the need for a study on air quality to be conducted at Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana to determine the impact of vehicle emissions on the health of residents, especially children with breathing difficulties and asthma.
DASH, costing about RM4 billion, will be a 20.1 km, three-lane, dual carriageway expressway. Among the proposed route for it are Shah Alam's Puncak Perdana U10, Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, Kota Damansara, Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana.
It will then link users to Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP) and Sprint highways.
When asked about Azmin's reaction during the meeting, Wong said the MB gave a positive response and assured that he would meet with Prolintas Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) over the matter.
"He gave us a positive response, saying it it doesn't make sense especially in Damansara Perdana area which has a lot of shoplots,"
Wong said Azmin will demand that a new EIA be prepared and would issue a statement soon on the state government’s structural plan for 2035 which had included DASH, Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and other highways. – December 17, 2014.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dash-highway-too-close-for-comfort-say-residents
Following below are some posters opposing KiDEX which explain what the construction of KiDEX will do to the Petaling Jaya skyline. The scenes shown in these posters are of Jalan Semangat, which runs past Section 14, Petaling Jaya, as it is now, and an artist's impression of how it will look once KiDEX is built.
Here is the SAY NO TO KIDEX Facebook page.
My own No2KIDEX blog is independent of the Say No To KiDEX group, though I am involved with the group and yesterday morning (Sarurday 22nd of November, 2014), we had a dialogue with Bukit Gasing State Assemblyman, The Honourable Rajiv Rishyakaran over coffee, where we discussed several of our concerns over matters such a rubbish collection, KiDEX, the Petaling Jaya North Sewer project, the One Way Loop and so forth in Petaling Jaya.
Thank you Rajiv for meeting us over our concerns, and for conscienciously performing your duty to your constituents who elected you.
Yours truly
No2KIDEX
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