THE Selangor state government must declare their stance on the controversial proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway, said Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
According to PSM, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been prepared and submitted to the state government before April 5, and it is puzzling why the state government has yet to inform the public and residents of Petaling Jaya about the current status of the issue.
“The latest report states that PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd has secured RM922 mil in funding for the project and has signed a major agreement with a conglomerate engineering company from China,” PSM said in a statement.
“As the general public is still not informed about the current developments, PSM has to wonder who and what has motivated and given such great confidence to the company to obtain such substantial financing.”
As such, PSM has called for the state government to release the EIA, the traffic impact assessment (TIA) and the social impact assessment (SIA) reports for the project for public viewing.
“The residents of Petaling Jaya and the general public have the right to know the contents of these reports so that they can understand the study methods and the project’s impact on their daily lives and the environment,” it pointed out.
“This will also allow them to provide feedback or raise objections if they identify any discrepancies or manipulations of data that could potentially misrepresent the project’s benefits to the people.”
The proposed PJD Link Expressway is a 25.4-km, two-lane dual carriageway (four lanes) expressway that commences after the NKVE toll plaza on SPRINT Highway, Damansara. It ends at the Bukit Jalil highway interchange.
The project is aimed at improving traffic congestion and caters to future vehicle growth in the greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area.
On May 23, it was reported by The Vibes that the required documents for PJD Link – its traffic, environmental, and social impact assessments – have already been submitted by the developer to the Selangor government for review.
Selangor Infrastructure, Public Amenities, and Agriculture Modernisation executive councillor Izham Hashim confirmed with the news portal that the assessments were sent to the state’s PLANMalaysia for evaluation. PLANMalaysia is the town and country planning department.
After evaluation by PLANMalaysia, the reports will be submitted to the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES), where a meeting is to be held at an undetermined date, Izham said.
He also told the news portal that the MTES meeting will most likely be held in two weeks’ time, or after the state polls. – June 8, 2023
