Selangor MB urged to prove PJD Link and Kidex aren’t the same

 

Amirudin Shari has a moral responsibility to show that the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway and the previously scrapped Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) are not the same, said a residential association.

This came after the Selangor menteri besar, in an interview with Malaysiakini earlier this week, told his critics that it was unfair to equate both highways.

"You said both highways are not the same and we believe you, but you have a moral responsibility to tell us why they are not the same," said Selve Sugumaran Perumal, the chairperson of Section 14 (Jalan 14/1-14/15) Residents Association (RA).

He urged the relevant parties to reveal the alignment and various documents on the proposed highway, including the transport impact assessment report, the environmental impact assessment report and the social impact assessment report.

Selve contended that both highways are similar due to their alignments as well as the individuals behind the companies in the two projects.

The initially proposed alignment for the PJD Link reportedly comprised a 34.3km dual-carriage expressway, while the original plans for Kidex would have spanned 14.9km of a fully elevated expressway.

"According to the plan, Kidex will connect Damansara and Kinrara, passing Jalan Harapan, Jalan Khoo Kay Kim Kim, Jalan Penchala and Taman Medan," noted Selve.

Selve said he learned from the developer that the PJD Link will connect Damansara to Kinrara, passing Jalan Harapan, Jalan Othman, Section 14 and Section 15 of Petaling Jaya, Jalan 222, Jalan Templer and Taman Medan.

"About 80 percent of the alignment of both highways are the same," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

"PJ is an ageing population, it needs to rest from development. Highways in urban area are supposed to disperse the traffic out and not bring it into the town," he said.

Project repackaged?

Apart from the alignment, Selve also claimed that based on the documents available to him, the individuals behind both highway companies were almost the same.

Last November, Malaysiakini reported concerns by several Petaling Jaya resident groups that the proposed PJD Link highway would be a repackaging of the Kidex project, scrapped in 2015 by then menteri besar Azmin Ali under the previous Selangor Pakatan Rakyat administration.

According to Amirudin, developer PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd, in its first presentation to the state government, had pledged to overcome all concerns previously raised by Kidex opponents, and he had requested the company to meet the local council and the residents before submitting feedback to the state government.

Selve said the community supports sustainable development which benefits the residents.

"The state government had scrapped Kidex and it had turned down an opposition's motion in the state legislative assembly to revive the Kidex highway project. 

"Is the state government conniving with the opposition to bring back the highway development project (via PJD Link highway)?

"If the (Pakatan Harapan-led) state government goes ahead with the project, is it prepared to lose the voters in PJ (in the next general election)? - Mkini