A RESIDENTS group protesting against the Petaling Jaya Traffic Dispersal Elevated Highway (PJD Link) has outlined several steps including writing a memorandum of appeal to state and federal authorities.
“The memorandum of appeal will be submitted to the Federal Government, Selangor Mentri Besar and Selangor state executive councillors,” said Stakeholders cum Residents Against PJD Link (SCRAP Highway) chairman David Yoong.
“We are also looking into engaging MPs for dialogue sessions at the Parliament building to talk about the impact of PJD Link, through arrangements done by Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.
“Our other next move is to engage with residents in Section 4 and other parts of Petaling Jaya that are impacted by the proposed highway,” he said during a press conference in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.
Yoong reiterated the group’s proposal at an earlier press conference to send a petition to the Sultan of Selangor to put off the highway project.
A group of Petaling Jaya residents and supporters had earlier staged a peaceful protest at Lebuh Bandar Utama to object against the PJD Link project.
The PJD Link is a proposed 34.3km expressway that will link Damansara to Kinrara. Its proposed alignment will start after the Damansara toll plaza on the North Klang Valley Expressway and end at the Bukit Jalil Highway Interchange.
In a statement earlier this month, Maria said the Selangor state government had confirmed that there had been no approval made and no proper submission of any application for the PJD Link to be built.
Damansara Jaya Residents and Owners Association president Dr Ong See Lian said that Damansara Jaya residents are already affected by existing highways and the proposed highway will further aggravate the sustainability of the neighbourhood and its environment.
“The construction of PJD Link will badly affect the wellbeing and mobility of our residents.
“The government should focus on improving public transportation facilities and road safety systems, such as implementing cycling and walking pathways for residents.
“The government should also focus on sustainable development, rather than projects that have a detrimental impact on residents,” said Dr Ong.
Bandar Utama (BU) 2 resident Syed Mohammad Taufik Abu Bakar said: “Construction of the infrastructure for the LRT3 rail line in Bandar Utama is already high. If PJD Link is going to be built, it will have to go above the LRT3 line.
“Traffic is already bad with three highways crossing our neighbourhood. Those staying in BU11 and 12 find it difficult to get out of their houses due to the congestion. We can’t afford more new highways coming in and more traffic jams.”
He also questioned what happened to the traffic, environment and social impact assessment reports that the highway concessionaire should have undertaken as part of the development planning process for the project.
Present to lend their support at the protest were Damansara MCA chairman Tan Gim Tuan, Sungai Buloh MP Sivarasa Rasiah, Selayang MP William Leong, Maria and Taman Medan assemblyman Syamsul Firdaus Mohamed Supri.
Tan urged the local and state governments to bring back the public consultation process, a move he said was “completely ignored” despite it being introduced when Petaling Jaya was declared a city in 2006.
