September 15, 2005: The RM16mil Bandar Mahkota Cheras road is opened by developer Narajaya Sdn Bhd with the consent of the Kajang Municipal Council. A few days later, Cheras-Kajang Highway concessionaire Grand Saga closes the road.
October 2005: Grand Saga business development and corporate affairs executive director Zainal Abidin Ali informs council that the closure is due to compensation issues with Narajaya and says the road would only be opened with a directive from the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
February 2006: Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents begin signature campaign to protest road closure saying they are forced to use a longer route through Bandar Sungai Long. More than 10,000 signatures are collected. Peaceful protests are also staged over the months.
April 23, 2006: The residents hold the first demonstration.
April 2006 to January 2007: The residents hold not less than 18 demonstrations.
May 2, 2006: The residents send a memorandum to the Prime Minister.
July 2, 2006: The biggest gathering of residents with more than 2000 people at the site of barricade.
August 27, 2006: FRU came for the first time.
August 30, 2006: The residents send delegate to Parliament to seek help from MPs.
September 2006: Former Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu tells Bandar Mahkota Cheras Open Access Road Committee members that road is illegal.
December 2006: Committee members led by Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai seek a meeting with LLM representatives but are told the matter would be referred again to Samy Vellu.
January 21, 2007: On the 18th demonstrations, 41 residents arrested and 4 brutally beaten by the police.
June 2007: LLM in a letter to Grand Saga EPU
January 2007: Grand Saga workers are spotted doing earthworks near site with the intention of putting up toll booths.
May 2007: Samy Vellu insists in Parliament that toll has to be collected at the access road in order to put an end to the long-standing issue.
July 2007: An emergency motion on the matter brought up by Tan Kok Wai in Parliament is rejected.
July 13, 2007: Residents led by committee chairman Tan Boon Wah visit the Prime Minister's office in Putrajaya to present a memorandum for second time with 12000 signature from the residents.
October 2007: Developer Narajaya files a suit against Grand Saga and the Malaysian Highway Authority at the civil division of the High Court.
April 2008: Selangor state government says road is on state land but appoints surveyors to determine who has right of way. Residents go ahead and demolish the first barricade on April 21.
May 7, 2008: With the help of the police, Grand Saga reestablish a barricade, but was demolished by the resident short while after Grand Saga workers left.
May 9, 2008: Police spur water canon & tear gas on the residents, included women & children when they try to stop Grand Saga to put up barricade for second time. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng was severe beaten by the police.
May 9, 2008: Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim says a meeting would be sought with the Federal Government to put an end to the issue.
May 21, 2008: Court hearing for lawsuit filed by Narajaya.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Chronology of significant events pertaining to the closure of Bandar Mahkota Cheras main access road
Monday, February 11, 2008
Travel extra 4 to 6.7km everyday
If the road blocked, The residents have to travel 4 to 6.7km (one way) everyday and pay a RM0.90 toll to go to KL.
Click the picture to enlarge.
Click the picture to enlarge.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Who is behind Grand Saga Sdn Bhd?
Grand Saga was awarded the toll concessionaire in 1995.The major shareholder is member of Lims. Who are they to get this contract of the decade?
It is a very lucrative business to collect toll at Cheras-Kajang Expressway as the profit is almost guarantee. Who offer this business opportunity to Lims?
Why are they so powerful? They can block the main access road of a township with 60000 population.
It is a very lucrative business to collect toll at Cheras-Kajang Expressway as the profit is almost guarantee. Who offer this business opportunity to Lims?
Why are they so powerful? They can block the main access road of a township with 60000 population.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Why Grand Saga has the power to block the road?
It is not Tom, Dick and Harry that could get this contract, at that age. So who are they?
Why this lucrative toll business fall into the hand of private individual? Why no government institution like EPF, PNB, Khazanah, Tabung Haji, Mara or state government stand as shareholder? Especially when it is so profitable.
What authority Grand Saga has to block the Bandar Mahkota Cheras main access road? What make they has such power?
Who give them authority to block the road? Why a private owned company has the power to do so?
What is the content of the concessionaire contract awarded? Who represent the government to sign the contract?
Who are these Lims? Most of them are below 35 year old.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Have you forgotten your promise? PM!
The residents of Bandar Sg Long and Bandar Mahkota Cheras have lost hope with the PM.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Grand Saga seeks compensation
Grand Saga Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for the Cheras-Kajang highway, is to negotiate with the government for compensation due to a soon-to-be completed access road, say sources. The company is gauging the impact of the access road on its traffic flow and is preparing its case for presentation to the government. The Cheras-Kajang highway concession, like other toll concessions, includes a provision whereby the concessionaire is adequately compensated if an access road is built that connects to it. Lion Diversified Holdings Bhd is building an access road connecting its Mahkota Cheras township to the Cheras-Kajang highway. This will allow commuters to enter and exit the township without having to pass through Grand Saga's toll plaza at the 11th mile of the highway. The access road will also benefit residents in the nearby Sungai Long township developed by SHL Consolidated Bhd. "The access road is scheduled for completion in a couple of months. After that, it will be handed over to the Kajang Municipal Council. This effectively means that the issue of compensation would have to be dealt with between Grand Saga and the government, not with the Lion group," says a source.
It is likely the access road will not be opened until the outcome of the negotiations between Grand Saga and the government, a process which may take some time. However, it is only a matter of time as the Mahkota Cheras and Sg Long townships, which cover more than 1,500 acres, now share only one entry/exit to the Cheras-Kajang highway. Grand Saga's official did not respond to a request for comment. When the access road is opened, it will have an impact on Grand Plaza's toll collection at the 11th mile, but not on the first toll located at the 9th mile of the highway, an analyst from Rating Agency Malaysia (RAM) says. There are two tolls on the 11.5km Cheras-Kajang highway. Current toll rates (for private passenger cars) are 70 sen at the 9th-mile toll plaza and 60 sen at the 11th-mile toll plaza. Revenue collection from the two toll plazas are currently about equal.
The highway was built at a cost of RM275 million in late 1998 and commenced tolling in 1999. Grand Saga issued RM210 million in bonds to build the highway. Besides the bond issue, it received a RM59 million support-loan from the government. But that wasn't all. The government had subsequently compensated Grand Saga for revising scheduled toll rate hikes. Due to the revised toll rate structure, the government in 2002 extended the Cheras-Kajang highway concession by two years to Sept 18, 2027. Then, in 2003-2004, the government paid RM104.93 million in compensation, apart from waiving interest and repayment on the support loan of RM59 million drawn down by Grand Saga in 1997 to finance the project, according to RAM. Any further compensation may increase the government's total compensation for the highway to more than RM163.93 million, which would be highly ironic, considering the construction cost was only RM275 million.
The highway has been a profitable concern. Grand Saga registered a revenue of RM57.84 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2004, with a net profit of RM6.47 million. This was sharply lower than FY2003's revenue of RM68.56 million and net profit of RM27.61 million, as Grand Saga recognised a portion of the government's compensation in its income statement in FY2003. Despite a drop in earnings, traffic volume surged by 4% between 2003 and 2004, with average daily traffic of 187,000 vehicles registered in FY2004. Toll collections from the Cheras-Kajang highway have expanded over the last seven years. In FY1999, the first year of tolling, revenue was RM22.55 million and net profit was RM9.23 million. In FY2000, revenue and net profit was RM26.8 million and RM6.05 million, respectively. In FY2001 and FY2002, revenue was RM29.05 million and RM30.84 million, respectively, while net profit was RM12.05 million and RM10.62 million in the respective years.
According to filings to the Companies Commission, Grand Saga is 44.45% owned by Peak Synergy Sdn Bhd, Europlex Consortium Sdn Bhd (33.33%) and Cerah Sama Sdn Bhd (22.22%). The late Datuk Lim Ah Bak, Ahmad Ishak Haron and Minhat Mion were listed as substantial shareholders of the three holding companies. There was an attempt by the above shareholders to inject Grand Saga into Malaysian Tobacco Co Bhd (now Measat Global Bhd) in 2000, but it did not materialise. It is worth noting that the Selangor government-listed infrastructure arm Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd had a 42% stake in Grand Saga in earlier years. KPS is believed to have sold its interest in Grand Saga in 1999/2000, before it was listed in 2003.
It is likely the access road will not be opened until the outcome of the negotiations between Grand Saga and the government, a process which may take some time. However, it is only a matter of time as the Mahkota Cheras and Sg Long townships, which cover more than 1,500 acres, now share only one entry/exit to the Cheras-Kajang highway. Grand Saga's official did not respond to a request for comment. When the access road is opened, it will have an impact on Grand Plaza's toll collection at the 11th mile, but not on the first toll located at the 9th mile of the highway, an analyst from Rating Agency Malaysia (RAM) says. There are two tolls on the 11.5km Cheras-Kajang highway. Current toll rates (for private passenger cars) are 70 sen at the 9th-mile toll plaza and 60 sen at the 11th-mile toll plaza. Revenue collection from the two toll plazas are currently about equal.
The highway was built at a cost of RM275 million in late 1998 and commenced tolling in 1999. Grand Saga issued RM210 million in bonds to build the highway. Besides the bond issue, it received a RM59 million support-loan from the government. But that wasn't all. The government had subsequently compensated Grand Saga for revising scheduled toll rate hikes. Due to the revised toll rate structure, the government in 2002 extended the Cheras-Kajang highway concession by two years to Sept 18, 2027. Then, in 2003-2004, the government paid RM104.93 million in compensation, apart from waiving interest and repayment on the support loan of RM59 million drawn down by Grand Saga in 1997 to finance the project, according to RAM. Any further compensation may increase the government's total compensation for the highway to more than RM163.93 million, which would be highly ironic, considering the construction cost was only RM275 million.
The highway has been a profitable concern. Grand Saga registered a revenue of RM57.84 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2004, with a net profit of RM6.47 million. This was sharply lower than FY2003's revenue of RM68.56 million and net profit of RM27.61 million, as Grand Saga recognised a portion of the government's compensation in its income statement in FY2003. Despite a drop in earnings, traffic volume surged by 4% between 2003 and 2004, with average daily traffic of 187,000 vehicles registered in FY2004. Toll collections from the Cheras-Kajang highway have expanded over the last seven years. In FY1999, the first year of tolling, revenue was RM22.55 million and net profit was RM9.23 million. In FY2000, revenue and net profit was RM26.8 million and RM6.05 million, respectively. In FY2001 and FY2002, revenue was RM29.05 million and RM30.84 million, respectively, while net profit was RM12.05 million and RM10.62 million in the respective years.
According to filings to the Companies Commission, Grand Saga is 44.45% owned by Peak Synergy Sdn Bhd, Europlex Consortium Sdn Bhd (33.33%) and Cerah Sama Sdn Bhd (22.22%). The late Datuk Lim Ah Bak, Ahmad Ishak Haron and Minhat Mion were listed as substantial shareholders of the three holding companies. There was an attempt by the above shareholders to inject Grand Saga into Malaysian Tobacco Co Bhd (now Measat Global Bhd) in 2000, but it did not materialise. It is worth noting that the Selangor government-listed infrastructure arm Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd had a 42% stake in Grand Saga in earlier years. KPS is believed to have sold its interest in Grand Saga in 1999/2000, before it was listed in 2003.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Newspaper Cutting
MCA has broken its promises to the people who trusted them. MCA leaders certainly not a protector, but in fact a culprit, an accomplice, and a coward.
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