KUALA LUMPUR – Selayang MP William Leong is making good on his intention to serve as a “bridge” in facilitating talks between the developer of the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) and residents who are rallying against the project.
On Facebook, Leong said he has held a meeting today with the PJD Link chief executive Amrish Hari Narayanan and will reach out to residents to bring discussions on the matter further.
Leong said this after Amrish “responded positively” to his request for a meeting.
He said during the meeting this morning, he had in broad terms discussed the concept of the PJD Link and the future transportation development needs of the greater Klang Valley, particularly for the Damansara, Petaling Jaya, and Puchong areas.
He said he also touched on the concerns of the residents in the affected areas, as well as alternative or complementary public transport, and transit systems to urban highways.
“I will contact relevant resident groups to discuss how to move forward with the discussions, following this initial meeting with Amrish,” Leong said in the post, accompanied by a photograph of himself and Amrish.
When contacted Amrish said the meeting with Leong was a positive development.
“I am thankful for YB William’s invitation to me to reach out to him. “He articulated the concerns of the residents which I fully appreciate.
“We look forward to further engagements with him and the residents to address all their concerns constructively,” he said.
On January 27, Leong volunteered to facilitate the highway developer and the residents of the affected areas.
He said his goal was to establish a middle ground that would address the concerns of affected residents and allow the project to move forward.
Leong also invited Amrish to engage directly with the residents to understand their grievances.
“If you listen to the reasons for the objections and address their concerns, I am sure that a way can be found to solve the issue.
“I am an MP for Selayang, but at the same time, since I am living here (in Petaling Jaya), the interest of the residents will be assured,” Leong told a press conference.
“The residents do not object to the proposed highway without reason.
“Instead of using the state government to push through and ride roughshod over the residents, displacing those affected, exposing them to air and noise pollution, and disrupting their economy and business – come and address their concerns.”
Highlighting the residents’ objections as valid, Leong underscored the importance of addressing concerns and considering residents’ perspectives.
Referring to recent reports that the PJD Link highway project – initially cancelled by the Selangor government on July 31 last year – is back under consideration, Leong urged the developers to reassess the highway’s alignment and explore feasible alternative options, emphasising collaboration.
The Selangor government initially scrapped the project last year due to deficiencies in the developer’s social impact assessment (SIA), environmental impact assessment (EIA) and traffic impact assessment (TIA).
However, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said on August 1 last year that the cancellation was not final.
The project might still be approved if the developer meets all the state government’s requirements through a thorough evaluation of its SIA, EIA and TIA, he had said.
It is understood that all three reports were presented to the State Economic Action Council earlier this month.
Amirudin also clarified that the ultimate decision rested with the federal government. – January 31, 2024