A SELECT committee must hold a hearing to determine the status of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal (PJD) Link highway project, which is back on the drawing board after it was said to have been be cancelled, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung said.
Lee said it was about time the parliamentary committee on infrastructure, transport and communication made the case clear.
“We need to go deeper and understand what has transpired with the project. I have received many confusing signals on the issue. It is my duty as an MP to look into it and ensure transparency in the process and procedures of the project, so that the public is aware of what’s happening,” Lee told The Vibes.
On Tuesday, Lee sent a letter to the parliamentary committee asking for a hearing on the project. This move followed the Selangor government's confirmation last week that the PJD Link was once again under consideration.
State Public Infrastructure and Facilities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-Based Industry Committee chairman Izham Hashim said the final approval for the project rests with the Selangor Economic Action Council. Izham said the federal government had asked the project to be reviewed after the concessionaire made improvements to at least five stretches of the highway.
On April 17, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the PJD Link had 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,” Fahmi had said.
The Coalition Against PJD Link demanded an explanation from Fahmi after the Selangor government announced that the project was still under consideration following a request from Putrajaya.
Coalition leader Sheikh Moqhtar Kadir said the members had opposed the project for 10 years and had hoped that the cabinet decision was final.
Lee hopes to receive an answer soon on whether the committee will be holding a hearing on the project.
“Given the importance of the issue, the uncertainty of the project and the processes involved, we hope the PSC looks into the matter because the stakeholders thought the project had been shelved,” he said.
Lee added that he is pressing other MPs and select committee members to put the PJD Link on the agenda.
The proposed PJD Link is a 25.4km dual carriageway starting after the NKVE toll plaza on the Sprint Highway in Damansara and ending at the Bukit Jalil highway interchange. The project aims to ease traffic congestion and support future growth in the Klang Valley.
The PJD Link developer signed a concession agreement with the federal government on April 5 last year. – July 11, 2024.
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