PETALING JAYA: Four residents of Petaling Jaya have filed a lawsuit against the federal and Selangor governments seeking discovery of impact assessment reports submitted by PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd relating to the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal (PJD) link expressway project.
The suit follows the authorities’ refusal to allow them sight of the documents previously.
In a statement, the residents’ lawyer, Lim Wei Jiet, said his clients – T Chakaravarthi, Kum Koo Ji, S Saktiseelan and Loke Yin Pong – filed their action at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 6.
They have also named the director-general of the town and country planning department and the director of the Selangor town and country planning department as respondents.
The residents had on May 24 sought copies of the environmental impact (EIA), social impact (SIA) and transport impact (TIA) assessment reports submitted by PJD Link to the town and country planning department in the preceding two months.
They also sought disclosure of the minutes of a focus group discussion held, the detailed design of the project, as well as the concession agreement between PJD Link and the government.
The Selangor government had in September 2020 approved in principle the PJD Link project, subject to receipt of these EIA, SIA and TIA reports.
Lim said his clients are seeking an order that the authorities disclose the requested documents within seven days from a court order made in their suit, as well as a declaration that the concession agreement awarded to PJD Link is not an “official secret”.
They are also seeking a declaration that parts of the Official Secrets Act 1972 are unconstitutional as they breach the residents’ right to information under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution.
They also claim that parts of the Act are vague and give unfettered discretion to authorities to classify any document as an “official secret”.
The court has fixed the leave hearing on July 4. - FMT
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