KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here has allowed four Petaling Jaya residents leave to pursue the disclosure of documents on the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) elevated highway project.
The residents, who filed their case on June 7, can commence with their judicial review to challenge the authorities’ refusal to hand over documents such as the project’s concession agreement, environmental impact assessment (EIA), social impact assessment (SIA), and traffic impact assessment (TIA) reports, Malaysiakini reports.
The news portal confirmed the court’s leave with lawyer Lim Wei Jiet and federal counsel M. Kogilambigai.
PJD Link’s concession agreement is classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972, and Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said in June that there was no need to declassify the agreement despite calls by various MPs from the ruling coalition to do so.
The project, which received approval in principle from the federal government in 2017, still needs to be approved by the Selangor government pending the concessionaire’s fulfilment of requirements in the EIA, SIA, and TIA reports.
PJD Link is deemed controversial as Petaling Jaya residents who disagree with it see it as a comeback and rebranding of the Kidex highway, which the Selangor Pakatan Harapan government had previously scrapped following public objections.
The elevated highway aims to connect the south of Petaling Jaya from Bandar Kinrara to the northern areas at Bandar Utama with 11 interchanges.
Residents have complained about the lack of transparency over the project, which they fear will impact the Petaling Jaya environment and cause more traffic jams at highway interchanges, besides safety concerns from a highway that will run over homes and schools.
An independent SIA survey by the Say No to PJD Link pressure group found that nearly 94% of the over 2,000 Petaling Jaya residents polled were against the elevated highway.
Case management for the judicial review has been set for July 24. – The Vibes, July 10, 2023
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