Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali denied the construction of the tolled Damansara-Shah Alam Expressway (Dash) which runs across the Klang Valley is a breach of Pakatan Rakyat's election manifesto which promised no tolls.

Azmin said the project was approved by the federal government.

"We have to remember that the concession company got the approval from the federal government, not from the state government," he told journalists in Shah Alam yesterday.

Azmin said the state government was only responsible for giving approval of the route.

"That is the only jurisdiction the state has," he said.

The RM11.5 billion Dash project is expected to commence construction in August.

Azmin said even if the tolled highway is constructed, its toll would be abolished if Pakatan Harapan, the successor of Pakatan Rakyat, wins the federal government.

"That is our manifesto for the federal government, if we are destined to receive mandate over Putrajaya, God willing, we will do it (abolish tolls)," he said.

Azmin also denied the Dash project will bring harm the environmentally sensitive areas in the state.

"No, we have a clear policy that if it needs to take up part of the forest reserve, then it (forest reserve) must be replaced with a new one first," he said.

Putrajaya had previously also approved the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) but the project failed to materialise as the Selangor government refused to grant approval for the use of state's land.