Govt unaware of Trans-Borneo railway proposal, says Loke
The transport minister says announcements on mega projects should be made by Putrajaya, not the private sector.
SEPANG: Putrajaya is unaware of a Brunei-based company’s proposal to start a high-speed railway network to link Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan in Indonesia, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook.
Loke said the federal government had given no approval for such a project, and that the tender for a feasibility study on the proposal would only be opened in May.
He said the feasibility study would require nine months to complete.
“If they want to build a high-speed rail track in Sabah and Sarawak, they must obtain approval from the Malaysian, Sabah and Sarawak governments.
“So far, there has been no approval as we have never even discussed this with the company,” Loke said after inaugurating the classification of KLIA Terminal 2 as a Class A terminal today.
Loke also said that any announcement on mega projects should be made by the government, not the private sector.
Brunei-based Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd’s proposal to start a high-speed rail network in Borneo caught media attention over the weekend, as the plan aims to shorten travel times between Brunei, Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan.
The company said the US$70 billion (RM330 billion) project would be implemented in two phases, involving routes of over 1,600km that would be served by high-speed trains with a maximum speed of 350km/h.
In response to media reports, Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg said the state government was not approached or officially informed about the project.
Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor meanwhile said the proposed project would enhance people-to-people connectivity and boost the economy in the region.
The proposal for a railway linking Sabah and Sarawak to Indonesia is not new, having been proposed by Sarawak in the past. Abang Johari had said the project would boost the region’s economy.
In October, Loke said Putrajaya would conduct a feasibility study on the proposal, following a request from Sarawak.
Separately, Loke announced that all 169 bus terminals nationwide will be required to possess terminal licences issued by the land public transport agency (Apad) following the gazettement of the relevant law on Feb 5.
“Terminal operators can apply for the licence from April 22 through Apad’s online licensing system,” he said.
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