MRT commuters observe social distancing aboard a train in Kuala Lumpur April 30, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Tanjung Malim MP Chang Lih Kang today urged the Parliamentary Select Committees to review MRT3’s profitability as the country’s economy continues to in a post-pandemic environment.
He added that the cost of the project, also called the MRT Circle Line, is expected to increase further if the ringgit continues to plummet.
“Since March 2022, the ringgit has depreciated 4.3 per cent. Besides, what is the contingency mechanism to overcome sudden price hike of building material cost?” the MP asked in a statement.
The MRT3 project is due for a tender process starting this month and the overall cost of the 51km project is estimated to be RM50 billion.
The MP also questioned the reason behind the government’s decision to commit into a mega project while Malaysians are battling the fallout from the pandemic, as well as inflation and rising living expenses.
“What is the rationale behind government’s decision to build the MRT3 now, that will probably burden the country’s fiscal status in the coming decades?” Chang asked.
Furthermore, he feared that the MRT3 project might not perform as well as some have claimed, with the MRT1 project failing to reach its expected ridership since its operation.
“With opening of MRT2 Phase One around the corner, why is the government not investing to improve connectivity, accessibility, and reliability of our existing rail infrastructures instead, which is deemed to be more cost efficient?” added Chang.
He urged the government to refer MRT3 project to Parliamentary Select Committee so that Malaysians’ interest can be safeguarded.