Say No To DASH spokespersons and Damansara Perdana residents Michelle Wong (centre) and Manimaran Veerappan (right) talk to the press after the RTPJ 2 meeting with MBPJ to raise issues about the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway – See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/anti-dash-residents-claim-environmental-approval-flawed#sthash.edKhM6rk.dpuf
Say No To DASH (SNTD) brought its campaign to the doors of MBPJ today during the meeting to discuss Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2 (RTPJ 2), where the pressure group’s spokesperson Michelle Wong claimed there were faults in the approval process for the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH).
“The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out in 2011 and approved in 2012. However, there have been many changes to the surroundings since then,” she said.
The RTPJ 2 meeting was chaired by state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong to hear issues from residents and elected representatives.
Wong, a Damansara Perdana resident, said there had been new housing developments and roads built in the area since 2011, so the EIA was out-of-date.
“There is even the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) construction now, with a station in Mutiara Damansara. This will serve all residents in the area, so the highway brings no benefit,” she added.
She revealed also that while the EIA was supposed to have expired September last year, Selangor Department of Environment (DOE) extended the EIA’s validity to 2016.
Manimaran Veerappan, who is also an SNTD spokesperson, urged the state government to take a stand and halt the project, as it did with the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).
“In 2013, a DASH Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) said 5,000 vehicles were to move from existing roads onto DASH. But they didn’t state if the vehicles were merely driving short distances (and won’t have to use the highway),” he said.
He also claimed that US and UK reports revealed children who lived within 500m of freeways faced breathing difficulties growing up because car emissions were proven to be carcinogenic.
“In the future, do we want our kids to be wearing masks to school and not be able to go out for a walk in the park?” he said.
Wong told the press that during a state exco meeting in April, it was agreed that only portions of DASH, which reached the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) from Shah Alam would be considered in RTPJ 2.
“Anything further, involving Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana, has to be studied by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM),” she said.
She added that the LLM would have to bring up new recommendations concerning routes for DASH and involve residents in discussions. – July 27, 2015.
selangoronline.com 
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