KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Bintang Member of Parliament Fong Kui Lun foresees “a big mess” if Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) goes ahead with the one km closure of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, set to take effect next month.
Fong said this while drawing on DBKL’s botched attempt at imposing a permanent contra flow lane for buses and taxis along Jalan Tun Sambanthan in 2011. That system was scrapped after an incident where a bus crashed into two pedestrians.
He said the stakeholders are entitled to protest the decision.
“If the stakeholders are denied their rights, they should hold a protest. I will be happy to assist in any way they need me to,” he said, adding that he has yet to receive any complaints or objections on the road closure.
Fong also said DBKL should open a dialogue with stakeholders over its plans to close roads in order to build walkways and plazas in other areas with high pedestrian traffic.
“Just like in Jalan TAR, they cannot impose these road closures without relevant feasibility studies,” added Fong.
He said he has been in contact with KL Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan over the issue.
Meanwhile, local government expert Derek Fernandez called on stakeholders to seek a meeting with the prime minister over the decision, which he labeled “grossly unfair” to shop operators along the street.
He said laws such as the Local Government Act 1976 stipulate that engagement and feedback sessions have to be held before road closures are implemented.
Fernandez also described the online survey by DBKL on the issue as “absolutely unfair”, arguing that it prioritised the view of the general public (not necessarily visitors of the shops or the users of the road) instead of the shop operators themselves, who would be hit the hardest.
He said besides public hearings, adequate notice periods and signboards, traffic, safety and social impact assessments should be done before such a move takes place.
“Since all those appear to be ignored, they (stakeholders) might as well go and see the prime minister,” he said.
Meanwhile, DBKL Infrastructure and Planning Department head, Sulaiman Mohamed, said it would be fine-tuning its system for the closure of Jalan TAR by including views and input from BARA (Batu Road Traders’ Association) as well as public transport operators such as Prasarana.
He said the alternatives being proposed to traders for loading are Lorong Gombak and Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
“Both these roads are parallel to Jalan TAR so there is space for loading and the roads can be accessed via Jalan Dang Wangi and Jalan Tun Perak.”
“We will also come up with a decision on when (what time) they should be loading their trucks. We will reopen our discussions with them next week and we will sit down with them to fine-tune this after the survey and walkabout with Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad,” said Sulaiman during a presser with the mayor, here on Thursday.