An opposition parliamentarian has cried foul for not being given a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report concerning a RM2 billion project to tackle flooding in Kuala Lumpur.

When debating the 2004 budget in Parliament yesterday, Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) said she wrote to Irrigation and Drainage Department director Teh Siew Keat requesting for a copy of the report in relation to the Storm Water Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) project.

She also requested the department to hold a briefing with DAP MPs.

However, the department rejected her requests, stating that it was not required to "entertain requests from politicians".

Kok said she took offence at the reply and asked if this was because the government had a "hidden agenda".

"Isn't the EIA report a public document which should be displayed to the people? Why the EIA for this Smart project wasn't given to the MP?

"I am interested to find out whether the rejections are due to any hidden agenda or if the project is carried out without a full EIA report but merely with a preliminary report only?" she said, adding that the latter is a violation of the law.

Kok also questioned if the department had rejected her requests following instructions from higher authorities.

Full briefing

She stressed that the Prime Minister's Department should give a full briefing to MPs since the project was costly and added that it was important to determine if the project could effectively tackle the flood woes in the city.

She also criticised the Meteorological Department for not providing information to City Hall as well as the state-owned radio and television stations during a flash flood on June 10.

Kok said the authorities should play their respective roles during such incidents.

Following the flash flood, the government announced the commencement of the Smart project, which comprises a 9.7km single-bore tunnel to divert the Ampang river water.