KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif today announced that access to and from Jalan Johar and Jalan Beringin in Pusat Bandar Damansara, which connects to the Sprint Highway, will fully open on Monday.
Speaking at the City Dialogue session with Seputeh Parliamentary residents, she said that a company that owed Lembaga Leburaya Malaysia (LLM) RM8 million has settled the payment.
“Recently, I called a meeting regarding the opening of a road. There was a viral post saying that the road had been completed but not opened — Jalan Johar and Jalan Beringin. Ladies and gentlemen, on the 15th of this month, at exactly 12.01 midnight, the road will be opened.
“I have managed to resolve this issue just last week. I only just received feedback from Sprint earlier, and as the mayor, Alhamdulillah, we have settled it — they have made the payment and the road will be opened,” she said.
Maimunah said under her administration, DBKL’s approach is to resolve issues by engaging all relevant parties to find solutions that benefit everyone.
“Although it may not be directly related to Seputeh, this is how we practise our governance and way of managing things. Whenever there is a problem or a challenge, we will bring together all the relevant parties to discuss and to reach an outcome — a win-win solution for everyone,” she said.
Previously, former minister-turned-political commentator Khairy Jamaluddin raised the issue of the unopened flyover in his Keluar Sekejap podcast.
He pointed out that Pavilion Group’s RM8 million debt to the LLM was not the people’s problem and called for the matter to be resolved for the sake of road users.
“The flyover was completed two years ago, yet it has remained closed. In the meantime, motorists have had to use Jalan Damanlela instead.
“Whether passing in front of Pavilion, taking the one-lane slip road to Jalan Semantan, or using the Jalan Damansara flyover, the result has been severe congestion that has hurt productivity and reduced the quality of life for those who work, live, or commute through the area to Kuala Lumpur or Petaling Jaya. I have been frustrated about this for the longest time,” he said.
Khairy added that when he asked the Damansara residents’ association why the road had yet to be opened despite appearing ready, he was told the delay was due to the contractor, a company owned by Pavilion, failing to pay RM8 million in operations and maintenance costs to LLM.
Only after that sum is settled can the flyover be approved by LLM and handed over to Sprint, the highway operator.
“To me, that RM8 million is not the responsibility of road users. It is not the responsibility of workers in Bukit Damansara, nor of the residents who live there,” he said.
