Selangor ready to discuss DASH alignment with residents

PETALING JAYA (Feb 22): The Selangor government plans to hold a meeting with stakeholders to discuss the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH) project and finalise the highway realignment by March.

Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong (pictured) said the meeting would include the Malaysian Highways Authority (LLM), Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), and affected residents and associations.

“It is true that we have not found common ground on the most suitable alignment yet,” Wong said.

“For now, the alignment remains as per the original. We have tried to come up with alternative alignments in the past, but to no avail.”

Wong, exco for tourism, consumer affairs and the environment, speaking at her constituency Chinese New Year open house event, said that construction of the highway would not take place before agreement could be reached.

In an open letter last month, residents’ group Say No To Dash expressed its frustration over what it perceived as Wong’s silence on the project, despite protests from within her constituency.

“Our meetings and messages to our elected representatives failed in producing any results or resolving the burning issue of DASH,” the group said in the letter.

“Wong mentioned that an alternative route out of Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara would be proposed and it would be in her list of priorities to raise it, discuss and resolve it with Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

“We are now in 2016 and the Selangor government has not provided any confirmation that the realignment will take place as proposed, other than pushing the buck to residents and the Malaysian Highway Authority.”

However, Wong refuted the group’s allegations, saying that talks were underway. She also denied that any surveying had been carried out.

The residents have been protesting against the current alignment, which would pass through Damansara Perdana, for DASH since 2012. They believe that it would pass too close to their homes for comfort, claiming that at certain points the highway would be 11m from homes.

The 20.1km six-lane elevated highway is expected to cost about RM4 billion and will pass through Puncak Perdana U10, Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana.

It is understood that the expressway will link users to Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong and the Sprint Highway. -- The Malaysian Insider

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