The illegal wall built on a road reserve at Lido Plaza has received a new twist today, with LDP President Chin Su Phin claiming he is not responsible for the erection of the said wall.
On Thursday, Chin Su Phin who owns the house behind the wall was urged to clarify whether he was involved.
He denied he was involved, with his supporters claiming the wall was built way back in 2012.
So we did some background checks to find out what happened back then. We rewinded back our timeline to 2012, around the time the wall was built.
We found a speech published by LDP in 2011, which highlighted Chin Su Phin was a BN Senator.
Further checks also found that Chin was first appointed BN Senator in 2011, with the wall being erected some time in 2012/3, the first or second year into his Senatorship.
He was then reappointed a second term BN Senator in 2014, upon the expiry of his first term.
More photos of him with the top BN leadership can also be found on the internet.
This case brings some sort of similarity to the Damai QE – Kolombong Highway.
The Damai – Kolombong shortcut was previously a one-way road to reduce the amount of traffic passing through the then Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan’s house, which is also located at the corner of the shortcut.
Upon complains by the local community, the road was finally opened in June 2018, after BN’s defeat in the 14th General Elections.
It is now a two-way street, bringing much more convenience to the public at large.
Hence, the question that should be asked is whether Chin Su Phin used his influence in the Government to erect the wall on a road reserve in 2012, just like how Pairin did.
Perhaps Chin did not physically erect the wall, but like Pairin, through his influence in the then BN government, the wall was erected on a road reserve to ensure traffic does not pass through his house, directly giving them more personal convenience and private benefits.
According to laws and regulations, permanent structures could not be erected on road reserves. Road reserves are meant for the public, not for private use and enjoyment.
I live along Jln Kobusak, and often visit Lido Plaza. One should go there to realize the difficulty to drive and parking. I fully support to break the illegal wall to help relieve the traffic congestion of Jln Kobusak. Besides, additional exit can help people in the Plaza in case of emergency.