Press Statement By Michael Kong:
Lo Khere Chiang should just accept the feedback from the local community as well as the efforts put forth by DAP to resolve the traffic woes in Ee Ann City at Kota Sentosa with open arms. As the Chairman of Majlis Perbandaran Padawan (MPP), it is his responsibility to take notice of the people’s concerns and address them.
There is no need to attempt a cheeky and unfounded swipe at Chong Chieng Jen by claiming that there were no checks by DAP with Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) on whether there were provisions to ease the traffic flow in Kota Sentosa particularly Ee Ann City.
For Lo Khere Chiang’s information, I had personally visited the construction site on 09.10.2020 with two other DAP members and a member of the public. We managed to speak to the supervisor on-site and procured a copy of the new traffic flow which is proposed. Attached is a copy of the approved plan. Any person reading the plan will know that this was from JKR as it bore very detailed engineering information and also the company chop of the consultancy firm which is tasked to oversee the project.
It was pursuant to this meeting that I raised the issue in social media and local newspapers. Subsequently, I wrote to the JKR and MPP to propose the alternative route (which both the local business owners, shop owners and/or residents have proposed). If indeed the alternative route was not something which the public had agreed to, surely there would not have been a petition signed by 40 individual business owners requesting that MPP consider making this alternative route a permanent one.
Therefore for Lo Khere Chiang to first claim that DAP was making a ‘mountain out of a molehill’ reflects the lack of understanding of GPS and Lo Khere Chiang towards the plight of the people in Kota Sentosa particularly Ee Ann City. DAP had merely acted in good faith and provided constructive feedback towards a pressing issue but it was promptly brushed off by the Chairman of the local council.
To add salt to wound, Lo Khere Chiang had the cheek to allege that no homework was done by DAP and Chong Chieng Jen. If anyone is guilty of not checking his facts, it would be Lo Khere Chiang himself.
Lo Khere Chiang should have just resolved the issue and not play politics when it deals with matters affecting the people, even more so when such matter is under his charge as the Chairman of MPP and especially without attempting a cheap publicity stunt against DAP.
Michael Kong Feng Nian
Special Assistant to YB Chong Chieng Jen
