Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew

You don’t need to inspect the lowest level of the Smart system to know that MMC-Gamuda or the DID have not tested it for flood mitigation.

That’s not because they have admitted so but simply because they have not found a solution for desiltation.

What’s desiltation? You see, flood water being flood water, it’ s not clean. In fact, it is always full of mud (silt) and rubbish. That’s why after every flood, the biggest headache is washing the mud away (desiltation).

So, if the concessionaire or the DID really test the lowest level of the Smart system for flood mitigation, the entire level will be filled with mud. They have not thought of how to clean up the tunnels.

By now, you must have understood why they have not tested it earlier. And more so because both the inlet and outlet of the tunnels were not completed when Kuala Lumpur was hit with three flash floods all within two weeks in early June.

The authority has just announced that the entire tunnel is now completed on 23 June 2007 ( after heavy shelling by the PM one night after his new marriage). But that’s another “bullshit”. Why do I say that?

Just make a trip to Taman Desa and you would know what I mean.

They could only bluff the PM, who’s now away in Italy. Erm..plus the smart tunnel is leaking.

Two weeks ago, right before I went to inspect the Smart tunnel for the first time with other DAP MPs and engineers, I was having lunch at the restaurant next to the Danau Desa pond. At that point of time, the pond, which is part of the Smart system, was not ready for flood mitigation.

Even today, the pond is far from ready. It would not be ready in another 3 months according to the experts whom I have consulted.

This evening, I saw the workers were still busy widening and deepening the pond. And guess what, they have not even completed the outlet ( leaving the pond into Sg Kerayong).

Out of fear of another flash flood, as a temporary measure I guess, the contractors has just fixed some 10 GI (galvanised iron) pipes of various sizes to drain the water from the pond with the help of water pumps. Guess what, the water flows from the pond to a normal monsoon drain (only 2 feet wide by 4 feet deep) parellel to the main road, before discharging the water to a U-Culvert drains some 100 meters away. This U-Culvert drain is connected to the Sg Kerayong some distance “downstream”.

It appears to us that if there is another flash flood hitting KL in one of these days, the authority may really open up the lowest level of the Smart tunnel to test it out, and then relying on these pipes to drain the water to the normal monsoon drains (with the help of water pumps) and then to the U-Culvert drain before flowing into Sg Kerayong. So do not be too surprise if the entire road from Danau Desa to Old Klang Road area will be flooded ( the normal monsoon drains certainly could not cope with such influx of water from the pond).

Earlier, I was talking about how difficult it would be to do desiltation for the Smart tunnel. If they really open up the second level (and even the third level), imagine what would happen to the lightings, equipments and road furniture on these two levels, not forgetting about the desiltation works after the flood.

I would bet with bloggers that the authority may not have the guts to test the Smart system for water mitigation. Not even the lowest level if you asked me. Am I saying the authority may not even test the tunnnel for flood mitigation at all? You bet!

Last Saturday, at a briefing in Universiti Malaya on the Smart tunnel conducted by the DID chief , he obviously was embarrased by the DAP Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai who played the video clips (showing the massive leakages ) of the tunnel in the meeting.

Out of frustration, he made a “stupid” and irresponsible remark; he said that ” those who think the Smart tunnel was not safe, don’t use it.”

This fler also ”bullshit” by saying that all the cost of building the Smart tunnel came from the concessionaire and “it’s ok ” to let them go bust!

In fact, the concessionaire only paid about RM600 million for the tunnel; the rest of the RM 1. 5 billion came from Malaysian taxpayers! If you asked me, he ’s as arrogant as the great Samy.

Tomorrow morning at 11 am, DAP Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun will move a motion to debate on ” why the ‘Smart’ tunnel is actually not very smart”!

All the best to you, Sdr Fong.

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