A backbencher has requested the government to provide detailed information on all follow-up costs for the revived Petaling Jaya Traffic Dispersal Line (PJD Link) highway project.
Subang MP Wong Chen said as a supporter of the Madani government, he wished to see transparency and accountability prioritised in the planning of the project.
The PJD Link aims to connect the Sprint highway in Damansara to the Bukit Jalil highway in Bandar Kinrara.
"We ask the government to give us the details of the estimated cost, how much land to buy, how much the new line will cost, and the return for this company, which the concession term is said to be very long - 48 years, how much will the company profit?
"Because if my grandchildren want to pay to use that road later, I want to know how much they will have to pay, is it RM1 (per use)? How many thousands of cars a day?
"All that is important so that the people can understand, what is the real cost to the people and the total project cost," the PKR lawmaker said during a press conference in Parliament.
"It is up to the government to respond. But I hope the government, in everything it does for the people, will be done openly through open tender, with no corruption and no governance issues," he added.
The Selangor government rejected the original proposal from developer Syarikat PJD Link (M) Sdn Bhd last year after it drew opposition from residents' groups, who likened it to the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) highway project that was cancelled in 2015.
Also present at the conference were Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan who both earlier attended a briefing to the Special Select Committee for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.
Focus on other transport solutions
Lee said those in attendance were informed that the cabinet had on May 8 agreed that the project developer should be given the flexibility to submit a counter-proposal for a new highway alignment.
"Since the cancellation of this project will not cost the people, this is the best opportunity for the Selangor government to fulfil their promise to the people, which is to cancel the PJD Link.
"In addition, the government at the central, state and local authority levels should focus all efforts to empower public transport, resolve the issue of limited access, as well as design sustainable and low-carbon development in the immediate future," he added.
The government had in April announced that the cabinet will not continue with the highway project's construction as the developer had failed to meet several conditions.
However, in July, the Selangor government confirmed that the developer submitted a fresh proposal to revive the 25.4km long project, subject to public approval through a new round of social impact assessment. - Mkini
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