I REFER to the Selangor Infrastructure and Public Facilities, Modernisation of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Izham Hashim’s answer to Bukit Gasing assemblyman R. Rajiv’s question on the status of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link Highway (PJD Link).
It is most disappointing to learn that the Selangor executive council had on September 30 2020, nearly one year ago, agreed in principle and set conditions under which the PJD Link project was to be implemented. This means for all practical purposes, the Selangor government had agreed to the PJD Link project.
The imposition of conditions for the concessionaire to fulfill does not detract from the fact that the state government had committed a breach of its election manifesto. The Selangor Pakatan Harapan government is bound by their promise to abolish tolled highways. It is also a breach of the promise not to build any tolled highway, made by the state government when rejecting the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex Skyway), arising from the people’s strong objections towards it.
The conditional approval for the PJD Link means the Selangor people, in particular Petaling Jaya residents and businesses, are called upon once again to incur time, energy and money to challenge the Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Impact Assessment to stop the highway project. This conditional approval defeats the very purpose of the election promise.
By voting for a Pakatan Harapan government, there was to be a reassurance that the Selangor people shall be spared the anxieties, efforts and expenditure required in raising objections to highways such as what they had to go through with the Kidex Skyway. Now, they have been called upon to undertake a similar exercise for PJD Link.
Further, the condition for the concessionaire to publicly engage with residents living along the alignment is a mere public relations exercise. Based on previous experience, the residents’ objections are not usually taken into serious consideration. The condition is deemed fulfilled in holding the meeting, regardless of the objections raised during the pow wow.
I call upon the Selangor government to review its decision in granting approval in principle for the PJD Link project. Otherwise, the Selangor people will hold Pakatan Harapan accountable come next elections. – The Vibes, August 30, 2021
