THE developer of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Elevated Highway (PJD Link) must submit the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) reports before any approval on the project can be made, Selangor exco Izham Hashim said.

The Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman said to date, no reports have been submitted by the PJD Link developer to the Selangor government in order to start the project.

“The developer must submit the EIA, SIA, and TIA report to the Selangor Economic Action Council before it can be approved and to date, no reports have been submitted,” said Izham. 

He was responding to Works Minister Fadillah Yusof’s remarks, who recently said that approval given to the proposed PJD Link project is subject to further negotiations.

The Works Ministry said the project was approved in principle by the cabinet on November 12, 2017 and a concession agreement was signed on April 5, which requires the developer to fulfil EIA, SIA, TIA requirements before construction can begin.

Fadillah’s statement was met with heavy criticism by Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, who questioned the minister about the “so-called” approval.

“The Selangor government has yet to get the traffic, social and environmental impact assessments. These have not been submitted to either the state or federal governments, or residents.

“So, why did the federal government come to a decision to approve the highway?” Chin said at a protest against the project organised by Petaling Jaya residents.

Fadillah had said on April 4 that the government welcomes private takeovers of concessionaires for restructuring to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.

Petaling Jaya residents have opposed the 34.3km dual-carriageway since 2016, as well as its previous Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) incarnation, saying the elevated highway would cut through their neighbourhoods and affect up to 1,000 homes.

The residents said the proposed highway would bring enormous traffic flow, carbon emissions, air pollution, and noise and visual disturbances. 

It was reported that the proposed highway was to run along Jalan Penchala and Jalan Sultan, crossing the Federal Highway towards Jalan Professor Khoo Kay Khim (previously Jalan Semangat) and Jalan Harapan, and then turning west along the Sprint Highway towards the New Klang Valley Expressway’s Damansara toll plaza.

Real estate portal PropertyGuru in 2016 highlighted questions from residents if the same developer behind Kidex was trying to push the highway project ahead with the renamed PJD Link. – July 7, 2022.