SHAH ALAM, 16 Feb: The Selangor government announced the cancellation of the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (KIDEX) project after the concession company failed to comply with the three conditions set prior to February 14, 2015.
The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, in a press statement, said that the decision was made after reviewing public feedback, in addition to the opinion that the construction of the highway in Selangor must benefit not only highway users, but also enjoyed by the residents where the highway will be built.
He said that this stance was approved in the presentation of the Selangor State budget 2015 at the Selangor State Assembly session on November 24, 2014.
“The Selangor government practices the approach of taking into account the views of the public in determining the approval of any given project so that it can provide comprehensive benefits.
“Apart from economic development, the Selangor administration also emphasises on the social and human contribution in every project approved. The policy of ‘Quality Development with People at Heart’ is at the core of every development,” he said.
He said that the cancellation was made after the concession company failed to fully disclose the details of the agreement, in line with the Pakatan Rakyat government policy that emphasises on transparency and accountability.
In addition, the concession also did not provide an independent Traffic Impart Assessment, the Social Impact Assessment and the Environmental Impact Assessment, as previously requested.
“The studies are necessary to prove the clear benefits to users and residents of the areas involved after taking into account to negative effects arising from the construction of the highway,” he said.
Mohamed Azmin said that the concession company also failed to disclose the official estimates of the toll that will be collected and the rate of return on investment, including the toll rate increases that have been determined.
“The same approach will be used in considering the application for approval for other highways that have been proposed under the jurisdiction of the Selangor government,” he said.
READ THE CM’S FULL PRESS STATEMENT
NS
