Built 20 years ago, the road’s construction involved cutting through hard rock, soft terrain, undulating ground, swamps, hills and forests and was considered at the time the biggest infrastructure and engineering project the country had ever seen.
However the campaign, developed by Crush Malaysia, has been dismissed by some observers as greenwashing and propaganda. Khalilah Dato’ Mohd Talha, general manager for corporate communications and marketing for PEB, maintained that the campaign was “not propaganda”, but a reminder for Malaysians to reflect on how the North South Expressway has changed their lives and has boosted the local economy.
“People tend to take the highway for granted and focus on the negatives while not fully appreciating the difficulties in constructing such a massive project,” she said.
“This ad is a reminder for Malaysians to appreciate what it took to achieve this and that it is an engineering feat for all of us to be proud of.”
“There is no doubt that some sacrifices had to be made in the name of development and the greater good. However, Plus undertook all the necessary environmental impact studies prior to the construction of the highway.”
The 60-second TV spot starts off with a panoramic view of Malaysia’s lush rainforests before focusing on an engineer doing survey works around a local village.
Construction soon begins and workers are shown toiling through rough terrain as the expressway begins to take shape from both ends of the peninsular. Malaysians from all walks of life are then featured benefiting from the use of the new route.
The TV spot will be repeated again during the country’s National Day celebrations in August.
PEB is the largest listed toll expressway operator in Southeast Asia.
