PM launches MRT project, to be known as MY Rapid Transit

Construction works on Malaysia's largest infrastructure project to date have started.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) has been officially launched by the government today, one week ahead of its initial schedule.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in officiating the event, said the KVMRT was originally slated for a July 16 launch.

“Today, we have finally reached July 8, which we set as the beginning of the construction of the MRT in the capital,” he said in his opening speech at the KL Convention Centre (KLCC).

The launch also gave the KVMRT a new name – it will be now known as MY Rapid Transit.

More than 300 people attended the launch and they witnessed initial construction works on the MRT at three separate locations, streamed live during the event.

These locations were at the future Rubber Research Institute Sungai Buloh, Cochrane and Semantan MRT stations, which are part of the 53km Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. This line will see a span of 35 stations.

Najib said that he decided on a July 16 launch for the KVMRT in the project’s early days to the dismay of government officials.

“When I set the date, I can still remember the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal and Prasarana group managing director Shahril looking nervous,” he said.

The PM added that both Mohd Nur and Shahril reasoned that there were many “difficult” tasks that needed to be tackled before the project went for its official launch.

The KVMRT is Malaysia’s largest mega-infrastructure project to date.

Nationwide MRT proposal

Announced as one of the Entry Point Projects (EPP) within Najib’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the project has been given a RM36.6 billion price tag, although some experts said that the cost may spiral to RM53 billion.

The project has also been touted by the government to be the solution to the Klang Valley’s burgeoning congestion problem.

The KVMRT, they expected, would increase public transport usage to 40% by 2020, from a current 18%.

There were also plans to spread the MRT services all across the country, which was announced by SPAD chairman Syed Hamid Albar.

“SPAD is currently conducting studies on the implementation of spread (meluaskan) the MRT system all over the country, especially at economic centres … such as Johor and Penang,” he said in a speech.

Syed Hamid claimed that this was one of the government’s long-term plans for “the people’s well-being (kesejahteraan)”.