KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Residents association Persatuan Petaling Jaya Lestari has asked both Putrajaya and the Selangor state government to be transparent on whether the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway or any project with similar alignment is still on the cards. 

This follows a court hearing today involving the residents, during which the lawyers for the federal and state governments "take the position that the PJD Link has not been affirmatively cancelled" and is still under consideration.

"We are very disappointed by recent developments. The constant U-turns on whether the PJD Link would go ahead or otherwise has caused widespread anxiety among the local community," the statement said. 

The palm oil industry has come a long way from the introduction of the plant to the country as an ornamental crop to a complex global powerhouse, contributing significantly to Malaysia’s gross domestic product and the creation of job opportunities. While this pursuit of economic prosperity remains essential, a growing awareness of the industry’s far-reaching social and environmental implications has ignited a shift towards sustainable and responsible practices. Today, the palm oil sector operates within a complex and dynamic environment shaped by converging pressures. Escalating consumer expectations for ethical and sustainable products, coupled with increasingly stringent government regulations and rapid technological advancements, have transformed the industry landscape. With 5.65 million hectares across the country dedicated to the cultivation of the crop, the sector’s impact on local communities, small-scale farmers, indigenous groups and workers is profound and far-reaching.

"As with before, the local community is kept in the dark from all these discussions.

"We hereby demand that the federal and state governments be transparent about the latest developments relating to PJD Link, particularly on whether the authorities are still considering the mega highway project to continue, whether in its current form or via a similar alignment," it said. 

In April this year, it was announced that the Cabinet had decided to discontinue the project on the basis that the developer company had failed to meet certain conditions.

This follows a similar clarification by the Selangor state government in August 2023, ahead of the state polls involving Selangor and five other states at the time.

However, in July this year, Selangor State Government Exco Izham Hashim reportedly informed the Selangor State Assembly that the PJD Link is one of several highways still under consideration by the Selangor state government.

The court hearing is related to a judicial review filed by the group of PJ residents seeking the two governments to disclose documents relating to the projects. 

The documents include the concession agreement, social impact assessment, environmental impact assessment and traffic impact assessment reports. A decision is scheduled for Oct 21.

The proposed PJD Link is a 25.4km elevated highway with a two-lane dual carriageway from Kinrara to Bandar Utama which cuts through parts of PJ.

It has been equated to the now-defunct Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), which was rejected in 2015 by the Selangor state government then, reportedly due to the developer’s failure to submit traffic, social and environmental impact assessments by the stipulated deadline.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/node/724440