There’s no realignment plan for DASH, MB!

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): Say No To DASH (SNTD) group today reiterated that there was no new plan for the realignment of the Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (DASH) from the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) and Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), contrary to Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali’s statement yesterday.

Azmin had told the Selangor state assembly that the concessionaire, Prolintas had submitted a new plan for the expressway’s final alignment following the residents’ protest.

However, SNTD has clarified that the new plan was merely to redesign the highway in terms of ramps, measurements, noise barriers and such, and had nothing to do with realignment.

"Firstly, Prolintas has already presented the so-called new design to the residents’ representatives and Bukit Lanjan assemblyman (Elizabeth Wong), Subang MP (R. Sivarasa) and MBPJ councillors (in a separate meeting) in May this year," said SNTD in a statement.

SNTD said Azmin’s knowledge of the matter was "outdated" and failed to acknowledge SNTD’s memorandum sent to him on May 25, rejecting the new design as merely an enhancement of noise barriers and ramps on the same alignment, signed by all the affected joint management bodies, residents' associations and church in Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara.

"The government's indecisiveness on the DASH highway shows a disregard for proper town planning and the wellbeing of the people, who are affected by a proposed monstrous six-lane elevated highway metres away from their homes," the statement said.

SNTD claimed that Azmin was either being selectively updated or not being updated at all by the people entrusted with the job.

"The highways may have been given conditional approval by his (Azmin's) predecessor despite objections from residents sometime in 2012, like the Kidex (Kinrara-Damansara Expressway).

"Fast forward to 2014, when Azmin takes office and decides that final approval for highways are subject to the three conditions, which was why KIDEX was subsequently cancelled," the statement said, adding that DASH, EKVE (East Klang Valley Expressway) and SUKE (Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway) had not met the three conditions either.

SNTD said MHA and Prolintas had made it clear to the group that there would never be a realignment plan.

"Hence, there are no more discussions. Stop the dilly-dallying and finger pointing. Just walk the talk. We are not your political cards. We are the people who voted for you and whose lives and homes are being gambled by your administration," the statement said. -- The Malaysian Insider