Four PJ residents want firm commitment from Selangor govt to reject highway projects

• The four, who are part of the "Say No to PJD Link" movement led by lawyer T Chakaravarthi, in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 2) said while they welcome the caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari's announcement of the cancellation of the project, they noted that there are subsequent news quoting Amirudin as saying that the project may be revived if some conditions are met.
• "With such an unclear caveat, we are concerned that there will be another attempt to introduce another similar version of the PJD link."

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 2): Four Petaling Jaya residents who filed a legal action against the Petaling Jaya Dispersal link (PJD link) wants the Selangor government to give a firm commitment to reject any future highway development in the PJ area.

The four, who are part of the "Say No to PJD Link" movement led by lawyer T Chakaravarthi, in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 2) said while they welcome the caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari's announcement of the cancellation of the project, they noted that there are subsequent news quoting Amirudin as saying that the project may be revived if some conditions are met.

"With such an unclear caveat, we are concerned that there will be another attempt to introduce another similar version of the PJD link."

They noted that in the past, there was the proposal to the Kinrara Damansara Expressway (Kidex), only for it to be cancelled and the PJD Link was mooted.

They said the residents of PJ do not want to experience such an episode again.

"Now that it is clear that an overwhelming majority do not wish for such a highway [to] be built, both the federal and state governments should reject any similar proposals from the outset and not grant approvals (be it conditional or otherwise), which would unnecessarily drag the community through such an ordeal again," they added.

They said that all these rumours of the development of a mega highway being imminent had caused anxiety and restlessness among the community, resulting in the residents organising protest and campaigns in the past four years to oppose it.

Hence, the four requested the government to declassify the PJD Link concession agreement and also provide the public with the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study, which they (the four) had requested in their judicial review (JR) application.

They said that if the three demands (ie firm commitment, the concession agreement, and furnishing the EIA, TIA and SIA study) are not met within a week, they would assume that there is no serious commitment to the PJ residents that a mega highway similar to Kidex or PJD link would be rejected, and that there is no intention by the authorities to provide them (the four) with the documents in the JR application.

The four also sent a letter via their lawyer Messrs Lim Wei Jiet Advocates and Solicitors to the Attorney General Chambers, requesting the documents within seven days, and if not provided, they will continue with the JR.

Two days ago, Lim, when contacted, said they (the four) would adopt a wait and see attitude over Amirudin's announcement of the cancellation of the project.

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