Angry residents force Kidex public briefing to be called off

PETALING JAYA: A public briefing on the controversial Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) quickly turned sour minutes after it got started at the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) Civic Hall Friday night.

Besides chanting “Down with Kidex”, the residents who would be affected by the highway unfurled and pinned banners to the wall, protesting against the proposed highway.

At one point, Section 14/1-15 Residents Association chairman Selva Sugumaran confronted MBPJ Engineering director Ismail Shafie, who was seated with Kidex Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus and Kidex consultants.

MBPJ enforcement officers and plainclothes policemen moved in to separate and eventually escort both men out of the hall.

The uproar began when Say No To Kidex (SNTK) pro tem committee member K.W. Mak stood up to point out that the briefing could not be considered a proper “townhall meeting”.

Despite attempts to mediate the situation by SNTK pro tem chairman Dr Mohan Mahadevan and Kidex engineering consultant Datuk Kuna Sittampalam, the meeting had to be aborted by 9.20pm, barely an hour after it started.

Kidex Sdn Bhd’s chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus said the company would work again with MBPJ to ensure a proper briefing session with residents.

“I am just trying to comply with directives from the state government to conduct a townhall meeting, as well as public display of information,” said Mohd Nor.

The proposed Kidex expressway is a 14.9km route starting from the New Klang Valley Expressway Damansara Toll, ending at Kinrara in Puchong and traverses through various parts of Petaling Jaya.