SHAH ALAM, July 16 — The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) is ready to meet Selangor federal and state lawmakers to explain the contentious Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today.

The Selangor mentri besar said he was “informed” that LLM has already furnished the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) with the relevant documents such as the traffic impact assessment (TIA) and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

MBPJ councillors previously maintained that these documents were necessary in order for any amendment to incorporate the expressway into PJ’s city plan.

“LLM has given (the documents) to MBPJ. They (LLM) are ready to assist MBPJ to have the meeting with Selangor MPs, as well as state lawmakers,” Khalid told reporters here.

The Selangor MB said last month that Petaling Jaya Mayor Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad will coordinate a “special briefing” on the controversial proposed highway for local city councillors and Selangor lawmakers at both the state and federal level once her office receives the complete traffic study from LLM.

It is uncertain as to how the Kidex project will carry on as the Selangor government has already refused to renew a land acquisition gazette for over 3,700 properties along the entire stretch of the proposed highway.

MB Khalid said on Sunday that “efforts” to compulsorily acquire land for the controversial federal project would only continue after the LLM conducts a briefing on the matter with the MBPJ.

Last week, the Say No To Kidex (SNTK) committee urged Selangor not to renew the land acquisition gazette, as the state government had no basis to issue the gazette in the first place because the Kidex developer has yet to provide any document proving the need for the new highway.

Last month, MBPJ revealed that the Kidex project had been rejected on three occasions as the developer had failed to provide sufficient details, including its final Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) report.

Under Section 18 of the Town Country and Planning Act (TCPA), construction cannot start unless the highway fits with MBPJ’s plans.

Kidex is currently not incorporated into the council’s blueprint for Petaling Jaya city.

Despite the growing opposition, mounting evidence in the form of replies in Parliament and the state legislative assembly indicate that the project is set to proceed.

Among the areas that could be affected by the project are Tropicana Mall, SS2 Mall, Rothman’s traffic lights, Section 14, Amcorp Mall, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, Jalan Templer roundabout, Taman Datuk Harun, Taman Medan Baru and Bandar Kinrara.

Construction of the multi-billion-ringgit highway could begin as soon as next year and be completed by 2018.