After DASH info flub, lobby group says Selangor government ‘failed the people’

SHAH ALAM, Jan 12 — Selangor’s lack of transparency surrounding the Damansara-Shah Alam expressway (DASH) demonstrated its failure to prioritise the welfare of residents, said a group opposing the highway.

Say No To Dash (SNTD) representative Alvin Chin said every aspect of the project--from residents’ objections to the finalisation of the Selangor State Structure Plan 2035--was shrouded in opacity, suggesting that corporations were given carte blanche in the state.

“We are here telling the state government that you have failed the people. We are very concerned, it’s worrying that we have such a leader in this state.

“We ask, what’s the purpose of a structure plan when the private sector can go ahead and do things when nothing is approved? Can you give out a contract without approval? Do you need the Selangor government for anything? This sets bad precedents moving forward,” Chin said during a press conference at the Selangor Town and Country Planning (JPBD) building today.

Chin was referring to a report by local news portal The Star Online asserting that SPAZ Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Seacera Group Bhd, was given two letters by Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd’s (Prolintas) unit Turnpike Synergy Sdn Bhd inviting the former to participate in the tender for both the DASH highway as well as for the proposed Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE).

This was despite JPBD telling the group today that the Selangor government had not given Prolintas any approvals to proceed with DASH or SUKE.

“While a legal public hearing has been done, the project owner has basically gone ahead and prequalified companies saying that this company has been prequalified for the SUKE and Dash programmes.

“It is a waste of time, because at the end of the day, Prolintas can continue to give out contracts as reported in the media and yet we have to come here today to say we object to this and that,” Chin added.

Another SNTD representative, Mak Khuin Weng, also criticised the Selangor government’s handling of the entire process involving the two highways, which he said was poorly managed compared to Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s tenure and during the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

“We’re here to the highlight process. Last time when BN did the structure plan for 2002 to 2006, the process is an open meeting where media also can enter and you can report on whole event. All feedback is open.

“Secondly after the feedback is received, the Selangor government will write letters to confirm that the criticisms were accepted and which the criticism will be applied in the structure plan,” Mak said.

He contrasted it with current Selangor MB Mohd Azmin Ali’s administration, which he said conducted most meetings in closed-door sessions and did not communicate with residents.

The lack of transparency and communication made residents wary of the government’s plans, even when there may not be cause for them to be concerned, he added.

A third SNTD representative, Michelle Wong, added that Azmin’s telling residents to pursue legal action if they so intended also demonstrated his failure to safeguard their interests.

“If we have to come to the extent of having to get lawyers and take legal action means it has failed its people,” she said.

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.

However residents in Damansara Perdana have opposed the highway’s alignment since 2012 as they claim that the highway encroaches on public facilities in the area.