Selangor To Decide On Highway Project Once Important Conditions Fulfilled

Credit: The Star

Until the concessionaire tying up crucial loose ends, Selangor state government will determine whether to move forward with the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) elevated expressway.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari stated that the concessionaire had not yet provided updates regarding changes needed to the environmental, social, and traffic impact assessment studies in order for the state government's requirements to be met.

“We cannot make a decision until they take into account comments and objections of (affected) residents.

“After the previous Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project was rejected, PJD Link was supposed to fix everything.

“Once the concessionaire holds another public hearing and is equipped with a full study about the project, then it should come back to the state government,” he said in reply to Rajiv Rishyakaran (PH-Bukit Gasing) who asked a supplementary question on PJD Link project updates.

The Kidex project was approved but following protests from Petaling Jaya residents, it was terminated in 2015.

At the time, the state government had made a commitment not to build any tolled roads.

No Kidex-style highways would be reinstated, Pakatan Harapan has stated repeatedly.

A 34.3 km motorway known as PJD Link is being considered between Damansara in Petaling Jaya and Kinrara in Puchong.

In response to several protests by impacted Petaling Jaya residents, Ronnie Liu (PH-Sungai Pelek) questioned if the state government could reject the PJD Link project.

“We cannot reject a project because of its name, we have to review all the project components.

“We have to be fair to everyone and consider the public’s sentiments and possible noise factor (from the project), not decide based on popular opinion.

“The state government wants facts and data (with regard to this project).

“We will reject the PJD Link project if the concessionaire does not make the rectifications,” he said.

Izham Hashim, the chairman of the state committee for infrastructure, public amenities, agriculture modernization, and agro-based industries, responded that the state government had only moderated the legitimacy of the PJD Link project.

“This privatisation project comes under Section 20A of the Rural Town Planning Act 1976 and is under the Federal Government, not the state government.