Kinrara residents have called on the government to terminate the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) concession agreement in totality.
Speaking in a press conference today, resident A Dhanaraj stressed that Putrajaya must cancel the project “without any loopholes for a review or a revision”.
Dhanaraj - who is also Gerakan Menentang Penilaian Impak Tebuk Atap spokesperson - asserted that this measure must be taken to ensure that the project will not be revived if and when it fulfils certain “requirements”.
“We had a very bad experience before this. Last year, the Selangor menteri besar said the project had been cancelled.
“But four months later, there was a resubmission of the social impact assessment (SIA) by the developer. We have reason to distrust the government.
“Therefore, a total termination of the concession agreement is the only measure that can bring calm and assurance to the masses,” he told reporters outside SJKT Kinrara, Puchong today.
Some 15 people, including residents and representatives from PSM, attended the press conference. Police were also present to observe the event.
This comes after government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil announced on Wednesday that the cabinet had cancelled the PJD Link highway project in Petaling Jaya as the developer failed to meet several conditions.
Despite the announcement that the project has been scrapped, developer PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd (PJD Link) said it is studying requests to review the alignment of the highway.
In a statement, the developer said it is enthusiastic about addressing any misconceptions surrounding the project and engaging in ongoing discussions.
Elaborating, PJD Link said that it has yet to be “officially informed” by the government about the cancellation and vouched for the project’s viability and benefits for the people.
PJD Link signed the concession agreement with the Malaysian government on April 5, 2022.
No calm and peace
Meanwhile, Bandar Kinrara resident Virama Gointhen Balini also shared Dhanaraj’s sentiments, urging the government to give the locals peace of mind.
“Please! Stop it! No more PJD Link,” the 61-year-old said in frustration.
“Kinrara is not a small place, it’s a big town. We already have very bad congestion here. Please don’t let the developer touch the land anymore,” she added.
Another resident, A Perumal, also concurred with Dhanaraj and Virama.
Perumal expressed immense dissatisfaction over the development, saying it will “surely disrupt the calm and peace of the town”.
“This place will be more congested than ever. It will bring inconvenience to the locals,” said the 72-year-old who has resided in Bandar Kinrara 1 all his life.
The proposed 25.4km two-lane double carriageway was meant to start after the NKVE toll plaza on Sprint Expressway in Damansara and end at the intersection of the Bukit Jalil Highway.
The expressway 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.
It was to ease traffic congestion and accommodate future vehicle growth in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.
The Selangor state government halted the highway project in July last year, but Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the project would be revived if it fulfils certain “requirements”.
Previously, Amirudin said the state government would not approve the PJD Link if it is found to be similar to the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project, which was scrapped in 2015.
Several Petaling Jaya resident groups have raised concerns that the PJD Link would be a repackaging of Kidex.
Residents have since hauled authorities to court over an alleged refusal to hand over the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and other documents related to the PJD Link.
Soldier on with protests
Meanwhile, Dhanaraj said residents will not hesitate to take it to the streets if the government does not terminate the PJD Link contract.
“We will also continue to write to the prime minister, work minister, and authorities on this.
“If they are adamant in proceeding, we will come back to the streets. We have a lot of support. The residents of Kinrara are totally against it.
“We will continue to protest and fight against this project,” he asserted. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.