Despite the numerous problems caused by last year’s KL City Grand Prix, another race is apparently set to take place this August, and it is billed as KL City 400.

A few websites promoting the event are already up although KL Mayor Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz is on record as saying that DBKL would consider approving the race only if the organisers could show they had the funds to organise it.

On Monday, the racing website Speedcafe.com quoted KL City 400 Chief Operating Officer Faizal Moulana as saying that last year’s race was “heavily underwritten” by the government and that this year’s event would be the responsibility of a “public-private” partnership.

“We assure the sponsors and hopefully the fans that the race will go on,” he said. He added that the organisers had a “vision to increase economic benefits for the city.”

The Speedcafe report also said that “the new promotional group has assurances from the government that the V8-Supercar street race from August 12 to 14 will see out its five-year term.” It said these assurances came after a period of “inner turmoil.”

So, for the next few years, Kuala Lumpur residents will have to brace for periods of horrendous traffic congestions like the kind they experienced last year.

There has been much talk about this race being similar to Singapore’s F1 street race. But KL is not Singapore. It does not have the seamless and efficient public transport system that Singapore has. Unlike Singapore, it is plagued by traffic congestion even on normal days.

Kuala Lumpur is simply not conducive for a street race, especially when we already have a world class racing track outside the city in Sepang.

And what is this “public-private” partnership that Faizal is talking about? What does it entail? What is the cost to the taxpayers? What is the government’s commitment? What is the return on investment?Is it worth it? Why should taxpayer funds be spent at a time when the government is cutting subsidies and Public Service Department scholarships?

It’s nothing short of alarming to hear Faizal say that last year’s race was “heavily underwritten” by the government, especially when DBKL has yet to respond to allegations that it forked out some RM30 million despite assurances that sponsors would foot the bill. These allegations emerged in court papers filed by two firms that set up the joint venture to organise the race. They are now at war with each other.

The government must come out and respond to these questions and, more important, get its priorities right. Otherwise, it cannot claim to be a “people first” government.