A PETALING Jaya residents’ group has urged the government to reconsider its recent decision to discontinue the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) Expressway project.
According to Razali Abdullah, a representative from Taman Medan in Petaling Jaya, the project was crucial for resolving the congestion woes within the community, reported FMT.
“The reasons are quite evident when you observe Taman Medan, which is overrun with traffic,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference.
Razali pointed out that the rapid increase in the number of buildings and condominiums in the area had led to a higher concentration of people.
On April 17, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that the Cabinet will not continue with the construction of the PJD Link highway project as the developer, PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd had failed to meet several conditions precedent.
Fahmi, who is the government spokesperson, said the decision also saw no extension of time after the project concessionaire failed to meet the conditions set.
However, the developer said the unfulfilled conditions were attributed to the complexities of the project, which it said took longer than expected to iron out.
Negotiate, not cancel
On this matter, Razali reckoned that rather than cancelling the project outright, the government should negotiate with the project concessionaire.
“The concessionaire is open to negotiations, so it should be discussed respectfully to address the existing issues,” he said, adding that the residents were indifferent to which company was in charge as long as the issues in their area could be resolved.
Razali further added that a survey conducted by the concessionaire of Petaling Jaya residents returned about 60% support for the project.
Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Community Organisation chairman Yusri Ramli said the project would bring significant advantages to the areas surrounding Taman Medan, and that it would contribute to significant traffic relief for Shah Alam and Damansara.
He said the project would require purchasing private property, which might upset some homeowners, although he acknowledged that this was the best option as determined by the consultants.
PJD Link was designed to connect the north and south of Petaling Jaya, passing through several areas including Petaling Jaya Utara, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, the city centre, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara, and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.
In Nov 2017, the Cabinet approved the proposal for the highway’s construction in principle. In Sept 2020, the state government also granted its approval in principle, contingent on the receipt of impact assessment reports.
Last year, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that the state government had decided to cancel the PJD Link project.
Back then, he said while the project had ben cancelled, it wasn’t completely dead and buried, adding that the project might be revived in the future if it can meet requirements and satisfy residents. – April 22, 2024
Main pic credit: The Star
