KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Putrajaya has given the green light for the construction of the Damansara-Shah Alam expressway (Dash) despite repeated objections by residents opposing the highway project.
The Works Ministry said, however, that highway developer Prolintas Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) have been instructed to examine objections raised by some residents on the alignment route and that possible changes might be made into Dash’s final design.
“The company (Prolintas) has fulfilled the condition precedent and has been granted an approval effective December 25, 2014,” Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof told Malay Mail Online in a text message.
“I have asked LLM to do a study, so that amendments can be made with regards to the areas being objected,” the federal minister added.
It was previously reported that Prolintas’ concession deal with the Works Ministry had lapsed on December 24, after being extended once before.
Fadillah had said back then that any decision on extending the concession agreement of the Dash expressway would be made only after a “detailed discussion” with government entities including the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the LLM.
Anti-Dash lobby Say No to Dash (SNTD) previously claimed that Prolintas tried to conceal the fact that work on the Dash project has already begun despite no official confirmation from the Works Ministry or the Selangor government.
According to Prolintas, Dash will be a 20.1km, three-lane, dual carriageway expressway starting from Puncak Perdana in Shah Alam to the Penchala interchange.
With 12 interchanges, the RM11.5 billion expressway plans to link drivers to Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong and Sprint highways, which residents claim are already congested during peak hours.
Dash will serve motorists from Puncak Perdana, Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Jalan Sungai Buloh, the Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, Kota Damansara, Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara, Prolintas said.
SNTD and residents opposing the Kinrara-Damansara (Kidex) expressway are planning a rally at Dataran Petaling Jaya today to protest against the Kidex and Dash highway projects, amid Putrajaya’s and the Selangor government’s inaction on their complaints.
