Decision on PJD Link revival postponed

THE decision whether or not to revive the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) elevated highway project has been postponed until further notice, says a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Stakeholders against the highway project claimed on Saturday (Jan 20) that it had gained traction after the developers attended a meeting with the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES).

Stakeholders cum Residents Against PJD Link (ScRAP) chairman David Yoong Lai Hon told a press conference that “insider PKR sources confirmed developer PJD Link Sdn Bhd had met with the MTES recently on Jan 10” and that a decision would be made by the end of the month.

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The source confirmed that the meeting took place on Jan 10.

“PJD Link has submitted all the reports, but we are concerned with (the) high (level of) protest on major segments of the highway.

“We are postponing the decision until further notice,” said the source.

When contacted, PJD Link Sdn Bhd management told StarMetro it would comment on the matter in due course.

PJD Link was a proposed 25.4km dual-lane elevated expressway connecting Damansara to Bandar Kinrara in Selangor.

On July 31, then caretaker Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had announced the decision to scrap the project, posting on his social media account: “No PJD Link after we have assessed the impact assessment report. The state government is not satisfied with the proposal and has decided to cancel the proposed construction of PJD Link.”

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In an accompanying statement on the same post, he stated: “The proposed PJD Link Expressway did not fulfil the conditions laid out by the Selangor government, mainly in areas on the possible social impact of the development.”

Amirudin was also quoted as saying later that day that there was still a need for an effective traffic dispersal system in Petaling Jaya and that the project could be revived if it could meet requirements and satisfy the public.

Yoong pointed out during Saturday’s press conference that focus group discussions carried out by the social impact assessment consultant engaged by the developer showed that 27 out of 31 groups objected to the highway.

“Meanwhile an independent survey, endorsed by 17 residents associations and NGOs as well as former Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah showed that 93.6% of the 2,501 respondents are in strong objection (to) the highway.

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“Bear in mind that the PH Selangor government had also agreed to reject any efforts to revive the Kidex highway project or any similar projects in their statement on Sept 3, 2021 when they discussed public objections to the PJD Link highway.

“PJD Link is not only 95% similar to Kidex, it is worse than Kidex,” said Yoong.

“As development accelerated in PJ over the years since 2014, the alignment of PJD Link has to indiscriminately and haphazardly bulldoze through many tight areas, including taking away two acres of a long-established school ground with existing facilities.

“It still runs in close proximity past religious buildings and precincts, commercial towers including one used for cancer treatment, and will severely bring down property values as well as cause irreparable damage to the environment and social fabric of Petaling Jaya and Kinrara,” he continued.

Yoong added that the Selangor government should reject the highway outright, maintain the cancellation announced last year and uphold its pledges.