From FMT:
No to Kidex but yes to PIL 1? Let’s refresh DAP leaders’ memory
by Lim Mah Hui
On June 9, 2014, Yeo Bee Yin, then a state assemblyman in Selangor, wrote in DAP’s The Rocket that if the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) were to be built, it would cost RM2.4 billion or RM161 million per km, making it by far the most expensive highway in Malaysia.
According to the data provided, the most expensive highway then was the RM751 million Ampang-KL Elevated Highway at RM95 million per km.
On June 9, 2014, Yeo Bee Yin, then a state assemblyman in Selangor, wrote in DAP’s The Rocket that if the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) were to be built, it would cost RM2.4 billion or RM161 million per km, making it by far the most expensive highway in Malaysia.
According to the data provided, the most expensive highway then was the RM751 million Ampang-KL Elevated Highway at RM95 million per km.
DAP and Yeo were dead against Kidex because “it cuts across mature township incurring the highest construction cost per km”. They said that “it warrants close scrutiny and greater transparency and must show to the people that the benefits of Kidex outweigh the cost with no better option (such as public transport) before making the final decisions…”
These are all laudatory words and it was indeed the people’s objections and power that stopped the Kidex project and saved Petaling Jaya from being disfigured.
If DAP contributed anything to this people’s victory, then kudos to them.
Fast forward to 2018. On Sept 20, 2018, Yeo, now the minister in charge of environment, was present at a town hall meeting in Penang attended by 800 people.
She was attending a presentation by the consultants on the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) report of the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1). She was also there to listen to public feedback on the DEIA report.
At the event, Penang Forum submitted a detailed feedback regarding their concerns about PIL 1 and also over 2,000 individual letters on the DEIA to Yeo.
Before she left, Yeo said we must balance development with environment, and a hard decision has to be made. Instead of reassuring the crowd that decisions will be made on the basis of facts and evidence, i.e. evidence-based policy, she referred to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s advice that the best decision is one that pleases no one.
She also assured the crowd that she believed no one on the stage was on the take.
Penang Forum did not receive any feedback from the Department of Environment for six months. It received a brief note on March 22, 2019 saying that the project was under review.
Three weeks later, on April 14, it was announced that the PIL 1 project had received approval with 56 conditions attached. There was simply no public engagement in this process.
Now the public is in the dark about what those 56 conditions are.
In 2014, DAP and Yeo asked for transparency. Now that they are in a position of power to make and implement those decisions, they must practise what they preached. At the very least, the 56 conditions must be made public.
What do other DAP power brokers have to say about PIL 1? Today they sing praises about the need for PIL 1.
Politicians have a short memory, some deliberately. Let us refresh their memory.
On May 29, 2002, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was then an opposition MP, said, “If the findings of the Halcrow Report are true, Dr Koh (Tsu Koon) would be irresponsible in pushing the PORR through as this will not be a long-term solution to the traffic congestion on the island.”
These are all laudatory words and it was indeed the people’s objections and power that stopped the Kidex project and saved Petaling Jaya from being disfigured.
If DAP contributed anything to this people’s victory, then kudos to them.
Fast forward to 2018. On Sept 20, 2018, Yeo, now the minister in charge of environment, was present at a town hall meeting in Penang attended by 800 people.
She was attending a presentation by the consultants on the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) report of the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1). She was also there to listen to public feedback on the DEIA report.
At the event, Penang Forum submitted a detailed feedback regarding their concerns about PIL 1 and also over 2,000 individual letters on the DEIA to Yeo.
Before she left, Yeo said we must balance development with environment, and a hard decision has to be made. Instead of reassuring the crowd that decisions will be made on the basis of facts and evidence, i.e. evidence-based policy, she referred to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s advice that the best decision is one that pleases no one.
She also assured the crowd that she believed no one on the stage was on the take.
Penang Forum did not receive any feedback from the Department of Environment for six months. It received a brief note on March 22, 2019 saying that the project was under review.
Three weeks later, on April 14, it was announced that the PIL 1 project had received approval with 56 conditions attached. There was simply no public engagement in this process.
Now the public is in the dark about what those 56 conditions are.
In 2014, DAP and Yeo asked for transparency. Now that they are in a position of power to make and implement those decisions, they must practise what they preached. At the very least, the 56 conditions must be made public.
What do other DAP power brokers have to say about PIL 1? Today they sing praises about the need for PIL 1.
Politicians have a short memory, some deliberately. Let us refresh their memory.
On May 29, 2002, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was then an opposition MP, said, “If the findings of the Halcrow Report are true, Dr Koh (Tsu Koon) would be irresponsible in pushing the PORR through as this will not be a long-term solution to the traffic congestion on the island.”
 |
didn't Lim Kit Siang use to sing above songs? |
This was underscored by Lim Kit Siang on May 28, 2002. He said, “The nightmare of the Penang traffic congestion is likely to be back to square one, not in eight years but probably less than five years, after the completion of PORR… What Penang needs is an efficient public transport system based on sustainable transport policy, as PORR is not a medium-term let alone long-term solution to the traffic congestion nightmare on the island.”
PORR, the Penang Outer Ring Road, is the precursor of PIL 1. It shares almost the same alignment except that PIL 1 is longer than PORR.
Just as the Halcrow consultants warned that PORR will not solve traffic congestion after five to eight years, the consultants for PIL 1 DEIA report gave the same warning. They said there will be congestion seven years after completion of PIL 1.
So why are these politicians who are now in positions of power reneging on their earlier positions?
Why are they not walking the talk? Why are they not making decisions based on evidence and sound advice?
This is supposed to be a new government, one that heralds hope. We need to hold them accountable.
Dr Lim Mah Hui is a former councillor of the Penang Island City Council.
PORR, the Penang Outer Ring Road, is the precursor of PIL 1. It shares almost the same alignment except that PIL 1 is longer than PORR.
Just as the Halcrow consultants warned that PORR will not solve traffic congestion after five to eight years, the consultants for PIL 1 DEIA report gave the same warning. They said there will be congestion seven years after completion of PIL 1.
So why are these politicians who are now in positions of power reneging on their earlier positions?
Why are they not walking the talk? Why are they not making decisions based on evidence and sound advice?
This is supposed to be a new government, one that heralds hope. We need to hold them accountable.
Dr Lim Mah Hui is a former councillor of the Penang Island City Council.
Fake news, red herring....
ReplyDeleteNote the FMT article by Dr Lim Mah Hui was dated April 18, but The Star report confirming the details of the 56 EIA conditions had already been made public was April 16, ie BEFORE the FMT report and two days after the PIL 1 project had been approved.
QUOTE
Three weeks later, on April 14, it was announced that the PIL 1 project had received approval with 56 conditions attached.......
Now the public is in the dark about what those 56 conditions are.
UNQUOTE
QUOTE
Penang discloses summary of 56 DoE conditions for PIL 1 highway project
Tuesday, 16 Apr 2019
The Star
5:31 PM MYT
by intan amalina mohd ali
GEORGE TOWN: The state government has disclosed a summary of the 56 conditions required by Department of Environment (DoE), in relation to Penang's upcoming PIL 1 highway project connecting Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway near the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone Phase IV.
UNQUOTE
Not mentioned in the criticism (perhaps deliberately) is the simultaneous announcement by the Penang Government of the start of the LRT project.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Lim Mah Hui prefers to go to work on a bicycle, but as someone who has to go through the stress of daily commute in Penang, I definitely welcome the proposal for major investments in Penang's infrastructure.
No investment in roads is NOT an option for Penang. Of course there needs to be investment in Public transport.
I think Lim Mah Hui qualifies more as a politician nowadays, I don't regard him as an environmental activist, not an honest one anyway.
Wakakakakaka
ReplyDeleteWhat's the problem? New projects, new companies and new cronies.
Just say it out loud. Why hide behind stories of last time and this time using costs, environment etc as excuses? Remember, all the "Satu lagi projek untuk Kita" in the past?
The question should be pondered is "Does the project benefits the citizens and country and outweighs other concerns of cost, environment, heritage etc?"
Otherwise it sounds like sour grapes stories and more politiking.
These Penang langs r the same type of suanku, not dissimilar to their cousins in the south.
ReplyDeleteThey think the world of themselves within that tempurung (ooop… island)!
They SHOULD venture out to HK, preferably Long Island, NY to find out how to SUSTAIN the sopo-econ features that they r so used to fart about!
W/O developments, especially infrastructures expansions that might compromise on the environment & living styles Penang is a sitting duck!
such a silly argument by a doctor at that, does it mean that if previously I was against the building of the pen bridge I must also go against any future bridge elsewhere, but it is good that individuals, groups and ngos are voicing their concerns with their own agendas, after all this is what a civil and free society is all about but at the end of the day it is what modern development the majority of penangites wants for their state that is more important and they have not spoken out yet
ReplyDeleteJibby's trial is taking an interesting but not unexpected path.....ie putting the blame on Jho Low (& others) and portraying Jibby as an unknowing innocent "victim".
ReplyDeleteTua Pooi has long moaned that he is innocent and it is Toonsie's cruel regime that makes him the scapegoat and prevents him getting a fair trial in Malaysia.
Well now even Jibby is turning against Tua Pooi. Who says there is honour amongst thieves? The 1MDB cases will soon become "Everyone for him(her)self". Maybe even Jibby against Rosmah.....ha ha...
I'M LOVIN' IT....!!!
QUOTE
Shafee hammers on Jho Low transcript: 'How can you blame Najib?'
Yasmin Ramlan | Published: 18 Apr 2019, 7:28 pm
Defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today suggested that the transcript of the conversation between Low Taek Jho and Ambank may show
that the fugitive businessperson had misled Ambank in relation to transactions involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's bank account.
"It (the transcript) is important because it shows that the transactions are being made in the bank without his involvement...
UNQUOTE
Open and Shut case.
ReplyDeleteLaundered Money paid into Personal Bank Account. Check.
Money paid out for personal use e.g. personal residence renovations. Check.
Money paid out to UMNO political purposes. Check.
Sungai Buloh. Check.
(Today, in the fifth day of the SRC International trial, it was confirmed that RM25 million of the RM42 million SRC money was paid to certain individuals and organisations. That leaves another RM17 million yet to be identified. They now must prove whether Najib personally took or used any of that money or whether Najib personally instructed the payments to be made into or from the account. The onus is on the prosecution to prove their case.) ~RPK
DeleteYea.. I have already checked dear Monsterball.. cannot find your RM42.0 billion. Now, Bandar Malaysia project is on. What say you.
("More importantly than that is the fact that, for the RM21.5 billion ‘discount’, CCCC is being given a total of around 4,500 acres of land at seven different industrial parks near the stations where the ECRL will stop.")
DeleteDear Monsterball, deeply appreciate your rebuttal on the above.
The 4500 acres of industrial land is for China & Malaysia to build factories (duh..) to manufacture stuff (duh...) so that there will be things to carry (called cargo....duh) to Port Klang otherwise the ECRL train will be empty.....duh....Jibby built a train line without giving thought to what possible cargo it can carry.....duh...
DeleteOui……
DeleteTunggu lah! It case SRC bukan 1MDB mah.
Bolih baca2 & pikir betul2 ke?
Oooop… zombie mana bolih pikir. Otak sudah today lama2.
If u believe the farts generated by that format producing mom, then do read(smell) his farts carefully lah!
Delete1) that mou is not dated with no official signatures from any parties (authenticity in doubt!)
2) if this document holds water, it clearly shows that this is a MOU between MIDA & CCCC. So if eventually this MOU turns into a contract (know the differences??), it binds TWO parties with operational/management structure still unknown. (CCCC is not the sole beneficiary!)
3) in this MOU between two parties, MIDA & CCCC, the later IS required to cooperate with MIDA to identify & develop economic accelerator projects along the ecrl corridor. These acceaerator projects r industrial parks in East Coast & in West coast, logistic hubs at transport interchange & TOD(???) along ecrl project. (Possible many third parties involvements!)
4) seems like MIDA is JUST providing lands(?) While CCCC is getting on with all the other nitty-gritty of get investors, monies & technical know-how to move this 'MOU'. (So, anywhere saying that CCCC is getting all the lands FREE as so concocted by that final outfit mom!)
U people t REALLY worst than moron - believing in anythings that fit nicely into yr imagination!
cccc 'given' 4500 acres of land? go back and read the article again if you can't comprehend the first time
Deletethe memorandum clearly states, cccc shall cooperate with mida in enhancing and jointly developing parks, hubs etc etc
no wonder your leaders ask you to stay at the bottom of trees and not question them
I thought you hate China because of its complicit to Najib's 1MDB? And what about the reinstatement of Bandar Malaysia project (also related to 1MDB), huh? I am sure Monsterball can defend himself. Believe me, soon HSR to S'pore will be on track.
DeleteThere is a loud, noisy group of activists who want Penang to remain a museum-like backwater. Even the transport project they are pushing harks back to quaint nostalgia - tram system.
ReplyDeleteA road-level tram system would add to traffic congestion and create new opportunities for traffic accidents - trams slamming into pedestrians, cars slamming into trams, trams slamming into cars.
Buses are an important and essential part of a public transport system, but in a high-density city, buses alone cannot be the principal people mover.
They don't move enough people at peak hours, or if you could put enough buses on the road , it would create traffic congestion of its own.
I've seen plenty of situations where the crowd of buses are themselves part of the traffic jam.