While welcoming the five new “high-impact” highways announced in the recently tabled Budget 2012, an opposition MP questioned the six similar “high impact” highway projects that the nation has seen neither hide nor hair of from last year’s budget.

NONE Speaking to reporters in a press conference at Parliament House today, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua ( left ) expressed his consternation over the six highway projects announced in last year’s budget which have yet start construction.

“If not even a single one of the highways announced for 2011 is close to kicking off by now, then surely the highway projects announced in the current budget will not see the light of day any time soon, if they ever kick off,” Pua lamented.

He said that this was based on a written answer form the prime minister yesterday which revealed that the six are either still being evaluated or only given in-principle approval, with no firm contracts or plans, to date.

The six highways are the:

  • Pandan-Cheras-Ampang Elevated Highway
  • Guthrie-Damansara Highway
  • Damansara-PJ Highway
  • West Coast Highway (Banting-Taiping)
  • Sg Dua-Juru Highway
  • Senawang Highway

According to the PM’s answer further, as the projects are still in the preliminary stages, no information is available as to the cost and other details.

“The PM must explain in parliament the reasons why the projects which had been announced last year have not even reached the finalisation stages, and whether these ‘high impact’ highway projects announced last year are just part of a wish list and not projects which are thoroughly evaluated for commencement.”

Such delays, he said, do little to instill confidence in the five newly-announced projects or the government’s sincerity to carry them out.

“The credibility of these announcements are in doubt because even the six projects anounced in the 2011 Budget speech, none have yet taken off the ground.”

The five new highways announced are:

  • Jabor-Terengganu East Coast Highway
  • Banting-Taiping West Coast Highway
  • Segamat-Tangkak Highway
  • Central Spine Highway
  • Kota Marudu-Ranu Road

In a parting shot, Pua also hit out at “recycled” projects like the West Coast Highway which has been re-announced in the current budget.

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