Challenging to declassify PJD Link agreement, says Ahmad Maslan

 

Deputy works minister Ahmad Maslan said the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link project is classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972 and its contents cannot be openly disclosed. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The government cannot declassify the concession agreement for the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link), deputy works minister Ahmad Maslan said.

He said the government is obligated by a confidentiality clause within the concession agreement, making it challenging to declassify the information easily.

“The PJD Link highway is classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

“It is recognised that the concession agreement requires reclassification before its contents can be openly disclosed,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya), who called on the government to declassify the document.

Lee argued that if a highway concession could be proposed without the public being informed, it raises questions about the feasibility of the project.

He went on to suggest that the government gradually declassifies information throughout the process to inform the public about the routes that will be impacted or to grant MPs access to this information.

“Otherwise, it would be unjust to the decision-makers and the public, who have a right to know how they might be affected,” he said.

Ahmad recommended that Lee meet with Simpang Renggam MP Hasni Mohammad to discuss the matter, as Hasni is the chairman of the Malaysian Highway Authority.

On Feb 24, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari had called the developer of the proposed highway to discuss a new alignment with the federal government.

Amirudin said any modifications to the alignment would necessitate the developer to start from scratch, which includes renegotiating terms with Putrajaya.

The PJD Link would have connected the north and south of Petaling Jaya, passing through Petaling Jaya Utara, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petaling Jaya city centre, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.

The proposal for the highway’s construction was approved in principle by the Cabinet in November 2017. - FMT