KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Selayang MP William Leong has voiced his objection to the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) project, claiming any benefits it has are outweighed by the potential social harm the project will bring.

Speaking as a resident of PJ, he said no number of public engagements or town hall meetings can change the substantive issues involved in the project.

"The traffic, social and environmental impact for the project passing through the Sungai Kayu Ara to Bukit Jalil will be the same as that in the scrapped Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project,” Leong said in a statement.

He added the objections and concerns raised by the public over Kidex are essentially the same for the PJD Link project, and that rebranding Kidex by another name cannot address their concerns.

"In addition many of the residents affected by the proposed PJD Link are senior citizens or those who have already used their life savings to purchase their homes in the area.

"With the increased property prices, the dislocation arising from the project would force the affected residents to relocate to suburban areas further away,” Leong said.

As a result the proposed project’s completion will cause them to be separated from their immediate families who provide support to them, and the existing community that they have been living in for all these years.

"The physical and mental stress and health issues arising from the displacement cannot be compensated by monetary means. The costs in terms of the misery and suffering to the affected residents far outweigh any benefits that the PJD Link may bring.

"I therefore call upon the Selangor state government to reject this proposed PJD Link,” he said.

Leong urged the state government to prioritise the interests of the rakyat before the profits of a privatised toll highway concessionaire.

"There are many other projects that can be undertaken to stimulate the economy affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. However the proposed PJD Link is not one of them.

"The transportation, connectivity and accessibility can be addressed without sacrificing the interests of the residents affected by the proposed PJD Link,” he said.