SUBANG JAYA, 15 Jan – Another case of Barisan Nasional’s “Janji Dicapati”, or unfulfilled promises, was revealed when the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat-led government marked the completion of a pedestrian bridge at Persiaran Kewajipan here, after the promise given by BN to do so during the 2008 General Elections went unfulfilled.

Selangor State Assemblywoman for Subang Jaya, Hannah Yeoh said plans for the construction of the pedestrian bridge were announced in a press conference by the then BN State Assemblyman, Lee Hwa Beng, alongside BN’s former electoral candidate for Subang Jaya, Ong Chee Swen.

“However, after Lee Hwa Beng and Ong Chong Swen lost during the 2008 GE, as the newly-elected Subang Jaya State Assemblywomen, I then did a follow up on the bridge proposal with the Public Works Department.”

“I was then informed [by PWD] that the project would be discontinued,” said Yeoh, also the treasurer for Selangor DAP.

According to Yeoh, a statement received by her from Lee Hwa Beng himself highlighted that the pedestrian bridge was in fact a “personal promise” by the former Minister for Public Works, S Samy Vellu. When both Lee and Samy Vellu lost during the 2008 political tsunami, the ‘bridge promise’ was rendered to an ultimate halt.

Yeoh furthers that it is proven that BN’s act in giving promises is only meant to fish for votes, not to put the people as priority — a situation in contrary with the ruling coalition’s oft-repeated slogan, ‘People First, Performance Now”.

“I then brought the issue to the Selangor PR government, despite it is not being under the state government’s jurisdiction.”

“After four years of waiting for BN to fulfill its promise, and after 1,600 signatures obtained through a petition held in May 2012, the Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim gave the consent to complete the project using the state government’s funding of RM1.35 million,” Yeoh explained.

The pedestrian bridge is built primarily for the local pedestrians’ safety, catering to the houses of worship and religious associations located nearby, namely Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, a Hindu temple, Sri Varatharajah Perumal and Subang Sikh Association.

The 10km–long Persiaran Kewajipan is one of Subang Jaya’s busiest major thouroughfares, a main artery cutting through the thriving Klang Valley township from the neighborhood of SS15 to the southernmost vicinities of USJ.

Hannah said, the completion of the pedestrian bridge could stand as a clear reminder for Subang Jaya residents that BN’s slogan, “Janji Ditepati” or promises fulfilled, is indeed carrying with it with empty promises.

“BN makes promises, but Pakatan Rakyat fulfills and turns the promises into reality,” she said. – The Rocket