KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Putrajaya is the authority that approves highways nationwide, a DAP MP told lobbyists now attacking Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and its lawmakers in their fight against two such such projects in Selangor.

DAP MP Tony Pua was answering allegations hurled at the Selangor government and representatives by pressure groups fighting against two proposed highways, insisting that they remain on the residents’ side.

“It should be pointed out that the highway is approved and awarded by the federal government. Hence, venom if any, should be directed at the parties who have approved and awarded the project,” Pua said in a statement yesterday.

Increasingly unhappy with how Selangor has not expressly rejected the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (Dash), residents have turned openly hostile against PR lawmakers.

Pua today fired back at the critics, who yesterday snubbed PR lawmakers who were invited to attend a rally against both highways.

“We were surprised by the sudden about-face because we thought the purpose of the rally was to obtain a response from us, which we were more than ready to provide,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.

But the rally turned into a pillory of PR lawmakers and the state government, whom the aggrieved residents accused of doing nothing to support or even “betraying” their cause.

Pua today disagreed that PR leaders have been completely silent over Kidex issue, adding that he has issued “half a dozen” statements against the highway while his colleagues have also written to express the same.

He added that the anti-highway committee consented to Kidex Sdn Bhd has until February 15 to fulfil three terms set by Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali before the extended concession agreement expires in a meeting last November.

Azmin could not publicly and arbitrarily reject the proposed highway ahead of the pre-determined deadline, he explained.

Kidex has about three weeks to comply the strict conditions, he said and the state could not do anything until then.

Pua was with Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah among other PR leaders at the rally held after the federal government approved the construction of Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (Dash) and Kidex yesterday.

The committee members of the anti-highway projects took turns to attack the MPs and assemblymen at the rally, who were also jeered by attendees.

Some even labelled the lawmakers “liars”.