PETALING JAYA: A transport expert today urged the government to expedite the planned development of a rail link between Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah to Arau in Perlis, saying it is better than focusing on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
Veteran transport consultant Goh Bok Yen said it was necessary because southern Thailand, which produces timber, rubber-based products and has a thriving fisheries industry, was in need of a good port.
He said although the region has the Songkhla port, it is relatively small and mostly used to receive goods from China.
“So what you see now is many exporters in Thailand are transporting containers and loose cargo to the Penang port, which is bigger and more efficient, by road through Bukit Kayu Kitam,” Goh said, responding to reports that Putrajaya may resume the ECRL, among projects suspended by the government since coming to power in May last year.
He said the upgrade of the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex was also not the answer due to traffic congestion.
“Every day, there are no less than 300 lorries coming into the country. At times, this number is almost double. So the queue to enter Bukit Kayu Hitam can be as long as 4km.”
In 2017, the government was reportedly planning to connect Bukit Kayu Hitam with Arau with a spur line to strengthen southern cross-border trade.
“We haven’t heard about it ever since,” Goh said.
The spur line would allow goods to be transported by rail from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Arau, which is already connected to Butterworth.
“Essentially, this means you will have a land bridge from southeast Thailand to Penang,” Goh said.
He said it would also complement the government’s plans to build a Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ), which was announced by former prime minister Najib Razak.
SBEZ includes the construction of a land port, a free trade zone, and a commercial area over a 20-year period.
Goh said the relevant state and federal authorities should capitalise on the SBEZ and develop other relevant infrastructure facilities and industries.
“Right now in Bukit Kayu Hitam, there is a golf course, but if you look on Thailand’s side of the border, in Sadao, they have a theme park, which is actually run by a Malaysian, and a thriving tourism sector.
“So there is a lot of potential to develop Bukit Kayu Hitam as a major economic zone on top of the SBEZ. In fact, it has a wider growth base than Johor’s Iskandar region to develop properties, industries, transhipment and tourism.”
Goh said Bukit Kayu Hitam is to Malaysia what Shenzen is to China as a link to Hong Kong.
“So in our case, Bukit Kayu Hitam can be Malaysia’s link to Thailand’s hinterland. This is why it is crucial that we develop it faster, especially the transport links.
“This will give better returns than the ECRL as it is cheaper and vital for economic growth.”
The 688km-long ECRL, which would connect Port Klang in Selangor with the Kuantan Port in Pahang and Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan, was suspended in July last year.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad previously said the ECRL was a waste of money, saying the government would not get much returns from the Chinese-led rail project. - FMT
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