KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the developer of the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal (PJD) Link highway has yet to receive state approval to proceed with the project.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament’s media centre today, Amirudin said that state authorities have not been presented with any proposals from the project’s developer, PJD Link Sdn Bhd.
“There is no approval yet from the Selangor government (for the PJD Link highway). The approval for the development previously came from Putrajaya.
“The state administration has not received any proposals on what changes they (developers) are proposing for the project, (compared with its predecessor) Kidex (Kinrara-Damansara Expressway) project,” he said.
He noted that during initial presentations on the project, state representatives were “promised” that developers will attempt to “avoid complaints” and “try to change all the aspects protested” by Petaling Jaya residents.
“Current state plannings do not include the PJD Link. (This will change) when they (developers) come to us and initiate plans,” he added.
In a parliamentary written reply to Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung today, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said that the PJD Link concessionaire is in the midst of fulfilling conditions set out in the concession agreement.
Nanta said that the developer is actively carrying out the environment impact assessment, traffic impact assessment, and social impact assessment without any physical activity at the site.
He also said that besides a confidentiality agreement, the contents of the concession agreement have been classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972, which prohibits the government from revealing details on the matter to the public.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported that disgruntled residents have taken matters into their own hands by creating an independent survey to obtain a more balanced perspective on PJ residents’ and frequenters’ opinion on the PJD Link.
This came after attendees of focus group discussions conducted by the developers considered the consultations redundant, as no specific details or progress of the large development project were disclosed.
Some residents also said that their qualms may lead to incumbent state authorities losing their votes in the upcoming elections.
In July last year, the Works Ministry said that the approval given to the PJD Link project is subject to further negotiations.
The project was approved in principle by the cabinet on November 12, 2017 and a concession agreement was signed on April 5, 202. The Selangor government also approved the project in principle on September 3, 2020.
However, in September 2021, Selangor Pakatan Harapan leaders, which included Amirudin, issued a joint statement that they were against any revival of the Kidex highway or any similar project. – The Vibes, March 1, 2023
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