KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s decision to slam the brakes on the third Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT3) line project is not a mistake but MRT Corp CEO Datuk Shahril Mokhtar stressed it still needed to be carried out later.
He pointed out that the project needed to be carried out in future as the MRT 3 line was “critical to close the loop.”
“We abide by the government’s decision (to discontinue the project) but we also acknowledge that the MRT line 3 is critical to close all the loop.
“We hope that one day in the future, once the government’s fiscal position gets better, the government will consider this.
“But (cancelling the project) is not a mistake, but it still needs to be done in the future,” he told the media today when met at Ilham Tower, where meetings of the Council of Emminent Persons are held daily.
MRT 3 line is part of the MRT 1 (51km Sungai Buloh-Kajang) and MRT 2 (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putraja lines which are supposed to connect the whole Klang Valley.
When asked how much progress has been made on the MRT3 line project, Shahril said nothing has started at the moment.
“Very insignificant because we just started, no major contracts being awarded. We just started planning. No foundation, nothing,” he added.
On May 30, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that the government would be ditching the MRT3 project, which he said would cost up to RM40 billion to construct.
MRT3, also known as the MRT Circle Line, was initially scheduled to be 40km in length, 32km of which would be underground with 26 stations planned along the route.
The line, which was planned to run around the periphery of Kuala Lumpur city centre, would have included Ampang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Jalan Bukit Bintang, the Tun Razak Exchange, Bandar Malaysia, KL Eco City, Pusat Bandar Damansara, Mont’ Kiara and Sentul.