KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Mohd Kamri Kamaruddin has urged for the immediate completion of Section 2 of the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) for the safety and comfort of residents.

He said delays to the project are causing residents to continue facing traffic congestion, unsafe road conditions and safety risks at construction sites, including mudflow and the potential for landslides.

“Residents in my constituency have waited far too long, and they want the project completed quickly for the sake of daily convenience, smoother traffic flow and the safety of those living near the project area,” he told reporters during a working visit to the highway here yesterday.

The visit was also attended by the Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Mohd Hadzmir Yusoff, the Prime Minister’s Department Public-Private Partnership Unit director-general Muhammad Razman Abu Samah and WZR Group executive chairman Wan Nadzir Wan Mohamad.

The eight-kilometre project was originally due for completion in 2019, but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was later rescheduled for completion in March this year before being pushed back again to the end of the year.

Mohd Kamri said a site visit yesterday showed that much of the construction work was still incomplete, with work reportedly halted for the past week.

“I still remember when the Prime Minister officiated EKVE Phase 1 previously, PMX (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) said in his speech that ‘Fasa 2 kena jaga… kalau lambat, kamu jaga!’ (Phase 2 must be properly taken care of… if it is delayed, you will be held responsible).

“If the delays continue, the risk of rising project costs will increase and it will ultimately affect the overall implementation of the project, including the interests of the public,” he said.

Meanwhile, WZR Group Legal and Corporate Affairs director Ahmad Fazli Ahamad Nordin said the delay in completing the highway was due to cash flow issues as well as a sharp increase in the cost of key construction materials such as bitumen, premix, concrete and crusher run.

“Due to cash flow constraints faced by the concession company, WZR, as the main contractor, had no choice but to halt construction activities at the site temporarily.

“If the issue can be resolved quickly by the bank, we will be able to resume work at the project site as soon as possible and complete the highway as scheduled,” he said. — Bernama