We don't need Mex II, but smarter, greener mobility
From Boo Jia Cher
The work ministry's recent announcement that it is working closely with relevant stakeholders to resolve delays surrounding the Maju Expressway extension (MEX II) is deeply troubling.
While not officially revived, the fact that it is still on the table is cause for serious concern. We do not need another highway.
Originally launched in 2016 with completion slated for 2019, MEX II has become a glaring example of poor project management. Instead of using the delays as an opportunity to re-evaluate its necessity, the government is pressing on — holding endless meetings to 'resolve outstanding issues', as though the problem is merely technical.
It isn't. The issue lies at the conceptual level. MEX II is rooted in the long-debunked belief that building more roads alleviates congestion — a belief now proven to be just a myth by research and real-world outcomes.
More roads, more congestion
Induced demand is not a fringe theory. It is well-documented: build more roads, attract more cars, and end up with more congestion.
It is a vicious cycle that has already choked the Klang Valley into unlivable chaos. How many more interchanges must we build before the government admits it is building itself into a dead end?
A choking Klang Valley
Just look around: the Klang Valley is already clogged with highways, many of them gridlocked during peak hours despite being built to 'ease traffic'.
Developments like Razak City Residences are textbook examples of how this logic fails: encircled by sprawling highways — including the original MEX — residents are left with little choice but to drive or rely on e-hailing just to leave the compound. Outside its gates, walkability is virtually non-existent. Public life is extinguished.
The cost of this urban design is borne daily by the residents. They open their windows to the balconies, expecting fresh air, only to be greeted by the ceaseless roar of traffic and the invisible presence of toxic fumes, microplastics, and dust. The very air they breathe in is a cocktail of pollutants, while the promise of convenience is overshadowed by isolation and environmental degradation.
And for what? More pollution. More noise. More isolation. It is a hollow trade-off, where the pursuit of development seems blind to its human cost.
Financial burdens
Let us not forget that building highways is incredibly expensive, and these contracts often go to companies with close ties to those in power.
It is a cosy arrangement for the well-connected, but it is the public that pays the price. Not just through ballooning budgets and debt, but also through the everyday cost of car dependency: fuel, tolls, maintenance, and hours lost in traffic.
Ordinary people are footing the bill for decisions that benefit a privileged few.
Policy incoherence
Meanwhile, the government continues to deliver conflicting messages. One day it wants to reduce carbon emissions; next it's laying more asphalt.
One ministry talks about improving public transport; another keeps funding projects that directly undermine it. This incoherence is not just wasteful — it is dangerous.
Improving existing public transport
The truth is, we already have world-class infrastructure connecting Putrajaya and KLIA: the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit.
These are fast, reliable, high-capacity rail systems that should be the backbone of our airport connectivity.
Instead of investing in more cars and roads, why not channel funds into increasing train frequency, improving maintenance, and subsidising tickets to make public transport a real alternative?
The need for an integrated and modern mobility strategy
Better yet, why not ask the harder question: why does the works ministry still operate with a 1970s mindset in a 2025 world?
We need a serious reevaluation of its role. A ministry that prioritises highways over holistic mobility planning is no longer fit for purpose.
Until we have an integrated strategy that aligns environmental goals, urban livability, and modern transportation needs, the Klang Valley will continue to suffer — and so will all of us who live here.
Enough. Stop pretending more highways are the solution. They are the problem.
Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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