KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — The government does not anticipate any significant cost increases for the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) infrastructure project until the end of the construction period, as the project is in its final phase.
Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying said the project's construction phase is expected to be completed by December this year, except for the facade construction works at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru, which will continue until 2026.
“All work contracts have also been awarded,” she said while wrapping up the motion on the Auditor-General’s Report debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.
RTS Operations Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and Singapore’s SMRT, will commercially manage the RTS Link operations.
Lim said the fare for RTS travel needs to be set at a reasonable and affordable rate, subject to the users’ ability to ensure operational route requirements are met.
According to the Auditor-General’s Report Series 2/2024 released on Thursday (July 4), the estimated infrastructure cost for the RTS Link project increased by 29.9 per cent, or RM1.207 billion, to RM5.245 billion as of December 31, 2023, compared to the original estimated cost of RM4.038 billion in January 2018.
The project is a 4km shuttle train network connecting Malaysia with Singapore, covering the route between two stations: Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North in Singapore.
Touching on MRT Corp’s dependence on the government, she said the government is exploring leasing methods for rail system components, including trains, to reduce the financial burden on the government in the future.
“MRT Corp is a company established specifically to implement rail infrastructure projects. Therefore, civil structure construction costs are usually fully funded by the government,” Lim said.
— Bernama
