I WENT to the Petaling Jaya (PJ) and Kinrara People’s Town Hall forum on March 18 with my neighbours, eager to listen to deliberations on the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link).
Apart from guest speakers and presenters who comprise specialists in their respective fields among the residents, we heard a tirade of defensive arguments from the political aide of Selangor menteri besar, who graced the occasion on the latter’s behalf.
According to him, “the PJD Link highway is a federal government project”, and “the Selangor government has not issued any approval, only ‘in-principle agreement’ was given to the developer to engage with the people in affected areas to prepare impact study reports.”
Why pass the buck?
Does this mean each time the Works Ministry or the Malaysian Highway Authority sanctions a highway project, the state government will function like a mailbox that passes on the heavy burden of anxiety to its citizenry, and sends them down that treacherous path of attrition?
Is the state aware that even as the developer’s consultants are presently engaging the people and conducting impact studies, tonnes of man hours and resources are imposed upon the residents and stakeholders in an endless spiral of focused group discussions – which to some resemble a tick-box exercise for mere regulatory compliance?
Are there not more competent and responsible roles that the state government, with all its resources and expertise, can play and fulfil? Can’t there be a preliminary assessment of the project overview to gauge the feasibility of a massive infrastructure project cutting across a mature city under its jurisdiction – instead of simply attributing the cause to the federal government, and passing the buck of direct engagement with the developer to the people?
It does not take rocket science to see the vast similarities between the Kidex highway (cancelled in February 2015) and the rehashed PJ Dispersal Link. Not only in their alignments but in terms of the socio-economic and environmental impacts upon the PJ residents and stakeholders.
Then there is traffic chaos, extremely dangerous and challenging heavy construction activities next to existing traffic and buildings, and poor design issues. Even a resident presenter at the town hall could weave through and decipher the dysfunctionality (poor connectivity) and the toll-centric nature of the elevated tolled highway proposal.
“PJD Link will not only fail to ease traffic congestion within PJ, but on the contrary, will gravely induce chaotic jams when highway traffic is funnelled into existing local roads. Neither does the highway route connect efficiently or directly to many existing highways, or any public transit stations,” the speaker concluded.
Why private finance initiative?
PJD Link was approved by the then federal governments (cabinet approval in November 2017 and concessionaire agreement in April 2022) under the contentious scheme and practice private finance initiative (PFI) or public-private partnership (PPP), without open competitive tender, and with all costs and tenure terms shrouded in secrecy under OSA classified information.
Shouldn’t the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government of Selangor walk its talk of transparency and accountability, by turning down any forms of engagement with a single monopoly private developer?
Now that the federal government has also been formed with PH proponents at the helm, shouldn’t there too, be a rethink and a revamp of this multi-billion ringgit project arrangement – to manifest the clean governance in procurement processes that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been emphasising on since he was made a prime minister?
Why the disconnect?
Are the menteri besar and his aide aware that the Petaling Jaya City Council has as early as 2010 endorsed the low-carbon city framework as the guiding principle for transforming PJ into a low-carbon, green, dynamic and sustainable city?
Why then put the city through the cauldron heat and soot of an impending elevated tolled highway?
Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari must keep his pledge that if PJD Link is similar to Kidex, raises issues, and still brings anxiety upon the people, then the Selangor state government will have no hesitation to reject it.
Reject it now, YAB menteri besar. Reject the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link highway now! – The Vibes, March 27, 2023
Michael Kum is Section 20 Petaling Jaya RA secretary and a representative of the Scrap Highway team
