Bad Attitude can kill a business

Already facing stiff resistance for its highway project, Kidex Sdn Bhd again drew the ire of residents when its strategic communications head went on an expletive-ridden rant on Facebook after the cancellation of the developer's public briefing last Friday. 

In a Facebook posting a day after the emotionally-charged briefing, Datin Hasnah Abd Rahman wrote: "What a night it was yesterday, dealing with f*******s and s*******s of the highest order. So I shall cheer meself (sic) by posting pix with my 'twin'....."

Some angry residents took offence with her remarks, which they believe were directed at them in light of the Friday briefing that resulted in chaotic protests from the over 300 in attendance.

Exacerbating the view, some also observed that Hasnah had also posted another message with a similar tone on her private page hours before the town hall meeting.

In this post, the Kidex officer had written: “Harini senyum palsu, Actually in garang mode (I’m wearing a fake smile today, I am actually in an angry mode) because I am emceeing a tough event with very rude people tonight."

Both postings have been captured and made available here.

Residents are now demanding a public apology from both Hasnah and Kidex Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus over the remarks, saying that it was in bad form and made it harder for them to trust the developer of the proposed super-elevated highway.

"She (Hasnah) cannot say all these things... if they want to engage the residents and at the same time use insulting slurs, well you're definitely going to upset a lot of people," Say No to Kidex (SNTK) pro-tem committee member Mak Khuin Weng told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

The onus is on Mohd Nor now to apologise on behalf of Kidex Sdn Bhd if it wanted to prove its sincerity to continue engaging residents over the highway project proposal, Mak added.

In a letter dated May 18 to Mohd Nor, Ehsan Ria condominium management council chairman L. Anantheswaran demanded that Kidex Sdn Bhd issue a public retraction and apology over Hasnah's Facebook remarks as well as some form of "clear, public disciplinary action".

"Rather than withdraw these prejudicial statements Datin Hasnah Abd Rahman has confirmed and defended them. If they had been made during the heated exchanges of the meeting, we might discount them. But they were not. They cannot go unaddressed," said the letter sighted by The Malay Mail Online.

The Malay Mail Online understands that several residents’ associations are also planning to lodge a complaint against Hasnah - which may render Kidex Sdn Bhd's attempts at getting feedback on the project even more difficult.

In her defence, Hasnah responded by saying that her Facebook postings were made in a "personal capacity", and that she had not specifically referenced anyone in her remarks.

"People are vilifying me, but as far as I am concerned I have not mentioned anybody, no specific mention of anyone … I did not touch on them (residents who are against the Kidex)," she told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Many of the attendees during last Friday's hearing grew hostile after the Kidex communications' head announced at the start of the event that the briefing was a requirement criteria for the “implementation” of the highway.

Most were under the impression the briefing had been called to allow residents to field questions regarding the highway.

The Kidex project has been rejected on three occasions by the city council as developers had failed to provide sufficient details on the project.

Despite the growing opposition, mounting evidence in the form of replies in Parliament and the state legislative assembly indicate that the project is set to proceed.

Among the areas that could be affected by the project are Tropicana Mall, SS2 Mall, Rothman’s traffic lights, Section 14, Amcorp Mall, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, Jalan Templer roundabout, Taman Datuk Harun, Taman Medan Baru and Bandar Kinrara.

Construction of the multi-billion ringgit highway could begin as soon as next year and be completed by 2018.

MalaymailOnline