PETALING Jaya residents are calling for more openness and willingness to discuss a comprehensive public transport system instead of the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway.

They said there need to be more engagements with community leaders, concerned stakeholders and commercial building owners regarding ways to ease traffic congestion in affected areas.

The residents reiterated their stand that the project be scrapped, especially when they claimed that project consultants had said the highway was similar to the now-cancelled Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).

Coalition Against PJD Link Highway leader Sheikh Moqhtar Kadir said the authorities should look for a more feasible traffic dispersal scheme.

“Go back to the drawing board and look for an alternative scheme (traffic dispersal).

“The present layout of Petaling Jaya doesn’t allow for an elevated highway as it is too dense being a mature township,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

He said with the current layout, by adding the highway, it is going to cause disruptions to the community and businesses.

“The authorities need to conduct a more in-depth study on traffic dispersal. We don’t need an elevated highway,” he said.

“Maybe it could be some kind of other (traffic) diversions such as an underground tunnel in certain areas and not running through (highway) the whole of Petaling Jaya.”

It was reported that the concessionaire had said the proposed project will help alleviate the crippling traffic congestion in Petaling Jaya for the benefit of its residents.

PJD Link CEO Amrish Hari Narayanan said currently, Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) is the only highway going through the north and south of Petaling Jaya.

He said LDP is operating beyond its designed capacity at peak hours.

Amrish said PJD Link is connected to LDP and will help divert traffic to the Federal Highway, Bukit Jalil Highway, New Pantai Expressway, Shah Alam Expressway and Sprint Expressway.

He said the traffic, social and environmental impact assessments have been submitted to the relevant government agencies in March.

Sheikh Moqhtar said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2021 had said any project similar to Kidex would not be revived.

“It has been acknowledged by the concessionaire consultant that this is a revival of Kidex,” he said.

“In principle, PJD Link should be scrapped given the stand taken by PH. Moreover, it goes against the decision of the Selangor administration in 2015 (Kidex scrapped).”

He said the people should not be pressured to go through another round of opposition, especially since PJD Link is a revival of Kidex.

“Selangor PH has spelt it out loud and clear that it will not consider any revival of Kidex or a similar type of highway,” he said.

“Moreover, recently, the menteri besar (Amirudin Shari) was quoted by media reports as saying that the highway is not in the state’s plans.

“We want decisive action by the MB to reject this highway as it is crystal clear that it is a revival of Kidex.”

Sheikh Moqhtar also wants the state assemblymen of Bukit Gasing (Rajiv Rishyakaran), Bandar Utama (Jamaliah Jamaluddin) and Kampung Tunku (Lim Yi Wei) to take a proactive stance.

This, he said, can be done by submitting a motion to the menteri besar’s office asking him to put an end to the unproductive debate on the highway project.

“We were informed that the state assembly will only be convened after the state elections. We want PJD Link scrapped indefinitely before the polls,” he said.

“We need that space and peace of mind after putting up an opposition against PJD Link for the past eight years.”

Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi has said the PJD Link concessionaire had yet to fulfil all conditions specified in the agreement.

He said the project has received approval in principle from the federal government and policy approval from the Selangor government on September 30, 2020 before the concession agreement was signed on April 5 last year.

However, Amirudin has said the state government has not given any approval to the developers of PJD Link. – May 3, 2023.