SHAH ALAM, Oct 30 — Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali today denied he was responsible for three highway projects here receiving preliminary approvals.

The first-term mentri besar said the approvals for the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE), the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) and the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) were issued up to six years ago.

But he refused to explicitly state if it was done during his predecessor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s administration.

“The principal approval was given to the companies, but when I took over, I still maintained the principle that I need to ensure that the entire alignment must get full endorsement by the residents,” he told reporters after tabling Selangor’s 2016 Budget at the state legislative assembly building here.

Azmin said securing public approval was necessary despite the projects already passing traffic and environmental impact assessments.

Azmin’s remarks come after Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof yesterday lauded the former’s decision to approve the three highways projects, labelling it a rational move to help ease traffic congestion in Selangor.

National news agency Bernama quoted Fadillah saying that the said highways, besides being beneficial to the country’s economy, will also be of huge benefit to the people of Selangor and neighbouring areas.

On Tuesday, Sinar Harian reported that Azmin had approved the construction of SUKE, DASH and the EKVE purportedly without informing his own party, PKR.

Azmin had attacked Khalid over DASH, among others, while the latter was still mentri besar and eventually forced him from office.