Opponents ask: Has Selangor actually scrapped Dash highway?

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — The Selangor government must state whether or not it has actually shelved the construction of the the Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (Dash) as there is conflicting information on the matter, residents opposing the highway project claimed today.

Say No to Dash (SNTD) said that while the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) decision to remove Dash from the city’s local plan is “a step in the right direction”, there is still evidence to suggest that the highway project has not been cancelled.

“In fact, it has come to our knowledge through a freedom of information application to MBPJ, that the Dash’s already approved traffic impact assessment report is currently being modified and due for re-submission to MBPJ.

“We also note that Dash is still under consideration by the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department under the recent Laporan Tinjauan Rancangan Struktur Kerajaan Negeri Selangor 2035 (Selangor 2035 state structural plan) exercise,” SNTD said in a statement here.

The group demanded the Selangor government be more decisive in the matter and not leave any room for the Dash project to “resurface”- specifically the heavily objected alignment route plan in the Damansara Perdana township.

“Allowing deals to be done behind the public’s back is the reason why the public generally distrusts the government.

Hence, we urge for a more accountable and transparent action from the state government and the local authorities in making a final swift decision on this project,” SNTD added.

On Friday, MBPJ removed the Dash highway from the Petaling Jaya 2 Local Plan (RTPJ2) today to allow further studies following widespread public objection over the controversial project.

The Dash highway alignment was originally inserted into the Local Plan earlier last year amid objections from PJ residents.

SNTD previously claimed that Dash highway developer Prolintas Bhd 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.