TLDR: What Is PJD Link And Why Are Residents Protesting It?

The PJD Link proposes to connect Petaling Jaya and Damansara with a highway that towers over residential houses and businesses.

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The Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) is a proposed dual-lane tolled elevated expressway, 34.3km in length that begins after the NKVE Toll Plaza on SPRINT Highway, Damansara, and ends at Bukit Jalil Highway Interchange.

This highway is suggested to disperse PJ’s heavy traffic and link Petaling Jaya North (PJU), Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Petaling Jaya City Center, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara, and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.

The proposed route by the developer.
(Credit: PJD Link)

However, residents have not been keen on the new development at all.

Protests and signatures

Residents claim that a mega-elevated highway will affect the quality of life of residents and business owners in the area. Even visitors to the area will be affected.

The proposed routes will cut through residential areas and popular shop lots, as seen in this mockup by protest group Say No To PJD Link.

One of the mockups created by Say No To PJD Link.
(Credit: Say No To PJD Link)

The group is made up of Petaling Jaya residents who have previously protested the controversial Kidex (Kinrara-Damansara Expressway) Highway. Kidex Highway was scrapped in 2015.

The group also has 4 demands:

To the Federal/Selangor government: Don’t approve a highway that residents don’t want.
To Pakatan Harapan: Uphold your manifesto. No more tolled highways!
To elected representatives: Make a stand on PJD Link. You made a stand rejecting KIDEX in 2015, be consistent in 2021.
To the Selangor government: Prioritise the interests of the rakyat instead of a highway concessionaire’s financial gain. Prioritise sustainable public transportation with better connectivity instead of highways.

Almost 2,000 protestors have signed the group’s petition on their website, which is only open for registered residents or business owners in the areas affected by the proposed development.

Residents have also taken to putting up signage on their homes to protest the highway. If you’ve driven around PJ, you may have seen some.

You might have seen these banners driving through PJ.
(Credit: Say No To PJD Link)

Non-residents are tired of more developments too

Even those not living in affected areas have expressed criticism of the proposed highway. Many suggest that the solution to Malaysia’s bad traffic should be better public transport, not more highways.

Bad public transport -> people buy cars -> car sells a fck ton -> make more highways to accommodate cars. Rinse and repeat.
— z (@Zuhairi_Zamzuri) August 31, 2021

Remember this if anyone ever says that cities don't have the space or money for bike lanes, bus lanes, and wider sidewalks

There's plenty of money and plenty of space. Government at all levels just chooses to plough all of it into more expressways and car-centric infrastructure https://t.co/gdVOwqLDQM
— The Natcronomicon 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏴 (@Natcromancer) August 31, 2021

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