KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya has to be transparent with the public about any compensation costs following its cancellation of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) elevated highway, former minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.
The cancellation was a major decision, yet when it was announced to the public, pertinent information on compensation and alternative solutions to ease traffic congestion were not revealed, he said on the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
“When you announce something big like this, you have to say, firstly, about the compensation, because it will be a cost to the government… you have to have all the details ready,” Khairy said of the announcement on April 17 by government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil.
“The second question that needs to be answered… if there is no PJD Link, what are the other options to reduce congestion? Or, will the (federal) government look at an alternative alignment and will it be discussed with the Selangor government? You cannot just announce that it (the project) is cancelled,” Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, said.
Co-host Shahril Hamdan concurred, saying that people were aware that no project would be cancelled “for free” after it had been approved, citing the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project which saw Putrajaya having to pay RM320 million to Singapore.
Lack of details on compensation to the PJD Link developer is also causing the issue to be politicised, Shahril said, noting a video by Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin of Perikatan National, who has questioned if compensation would be RM100 million.
Shahril reiterated his point made in a previous podcast episode about the PJD Link – that while there were Petaling Jaya residents who were against the 25-km elevated highway, there were also those who wanted it.
“To cancel this thing… without clear next steps and only be conceptual (about having) more trains or public transport, then I think the government is being biased to one side and unfair to the other,” the former Umno information chief said.
After the federal-approved PJD Link was cancelled, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said he was unsure if any compensation to the developer was required.
However, sources told Scoop compensation could likely be in excess of RM20 million or even over RM100 million, as the concessionaire had incurred costs for various feasibility studies and approvals since 2016 when Putrajaya approved the project in principle. – April 22, 2024