KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Selangor DAP assemblymen accused the federal government today of trampling on the wishes of state residents and their elected government by “keeping alive” the Kinrara Damansara Expressway (Kidex).
Rajiv Rishyakaran, Yeo Bee Yin, Lau Weng San and Ng Sze Han criticised Putrajaya for adding insult to injury by considering another new highway, the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link), that closely resembles the controversial Kidex.
“Putrajaya should not have extended the concession agreement of Kidex in light of the clear no from Selangor.
“In doing so Putrajaya has shown great disrespect to the Selangor Government and the people of Petaling Jaya,” the foursome said in a joint statement.
The state lawmakers for Bukit Gasing, Damansara Utama, Kampung Tunku and Kinrara said that instead of steamrolling the unwanted highways, the federal government should work towards developing the 12 public transport routes laid out in the Selangor Transport Masterplan, which they pointed out was jointly developed with the Land Public Transport Commission.
“Among the 12 proposed routes includes one route that uses the same airspace as both the Kidex and PJD proposals.
“This is clearly the preference of Selangor, and developing public transport infrastructure should take priority in order to solve the traffic woes in Petaling Jaya and the Klang Valley,” they said.
They urged Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to end all agreements over the two proposed highways to allay public anxiety “once and for all”.
Fadillah confirmed to Malay Mail Online last week that the federal government had received the proposal to build an elevated highway in Selangor similar to Kidex from a little-known developer PJD Link Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Selangor residents, especially in Petaling Jaya, had expressed concern that the new highway was an attempt to repackage Kidex under a different name.
Fadillah said PJD Link made its submissions via the Public Private Partnership Unit and the Prime Minister’s Department, but insisted the matter was still at the preliminary stages.
He also said the federal government had agreed to extend the deadline for Kidex’s developer to meet preconditions for its construction to end of this year, but did not elaborate on the reasons to do so.
