THE Coalition Against PJD Link is seeking clarification on the cancellation of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway project that was scrapped by Putrajaya in April.
They hope unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil, who announced the cancellation, can clarify the situation after the Selangor government had announced that the project was still under consideration, following a Putrajaya request.
Coalition leader Sheikh Moqhtar Kadir said they had been opposing the project for 10 years and had hoped that the cabinet decision was final.
“The cabinet had already announced that PJD Link had not met with the conditions imposed and was scrapped.
“It has been terminated, so how is the Selangor state government still looking into the proposed project despite the cabinet decision?
“It appears that the state government is going against the cabinet decision,” he told The Vibes.
On Thursday, the Selangor government confirmed that PJD Link is back on the drawing board.
State Public Infrastructure and Facilities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-Based Industry Committee chairman Izham Hashim, however, said whether the project would be given approval was in the hands of the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES).
Izham said the federal government had asked for the project to be reviewed after the concessionaire made improvements to at least five areas along the proposed highway.
“There were improvements and changes made to five or six locations along the proposed highway.
“The mitigations made to the proposed highway look good (on paper).
“MTES is looking into the matter and will decide if the changes and improvements made to the proposed highway meet all the requirements,” he told the Selangor assembly.
In April, Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said PJD Link has been scrapped by the cabinet after the concessionaire failed to meet six of the 11 conditions.
“The cabinet resolved that there would be no extension of time to meet the remaining requirement precedents.
“Previously, the company has applied twice for an extension to meet the set conditions. As a result of that failure, the project was not continued,” he had said.
Sheikh said that the residents are shocked and very unhappy after hearing the news.
“This matter has been going on for far too long and we thought there was closure. So, how can Selangor revive something that has been terminated by the cabinet?
“Why is the Selangor menteri besar not making a stand on this? As this was announced by Izham, we hope that MB can clarify this.”
He also hopes that Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung will raise the issue during the ongoing parliamentary session.
Lee too has expressed his displeasure and demanded the state government explain how it could be considering the project after it was cancelled.
Lee said he was shocked by the announcement by Selangor exco Izham Hashim yesterday that PJD Link and six other highways projects are now again under consideration by the state government.
“It contradicts the federal government’s decision on April 17, 2024 that the concession had been discontinued.
“Now, who requested that this proposed highway be put into the draft Selangor Structure Plan?” he said in a statement on Friday.
He added that announcing that the PJD Link project will proceed again will cause confusion and loss of public confidence and trust in the government.
“As the best option is for the public to have transparency and visibility over what transpired in the past few years, I again call upon the government to declassify part of the concessions agreement deemed important to evaluate its legal and financial impact to the government,” he added.
The proposed PJD Link was to have a 25.4km dual carriageway starting after the NKVE toll plaza on the Sprint Highway in Damansara. It would end at the Bukit Jalil highway interchange.
The project was planned to ease traffic congestion and support future growth in the Klang Valley. The PJD Link developer signed a concession agreement with the state government on April 5 last year. – July 7, 2024.
