PUCHONG: A report regarding the future direction of the Multi-Lane Fast Flow (MLFF) system will be presented to the cabinet in January 2025.
Deputy Works Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, said the ministry's secretary-general had sent the letter to discontinue the MLFF with the previous company.
"The letter regarding the discontinuation of the MLFF with the existing company (highway concessionaires) has been issued. Today is the final day.
"The ministry will prepare and submit a paper regarding the direction of MLFF to the cabinet next month for consideration and approval," he said at a press conference following a visit to the simulation site for the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) in Pulau Meranti here today.
The MLFF initiative is designed to allow highway concessionaires to implement their system to address the longstanding issue of traffic congestion at toll booths.
The system aims to replace traditional toll booths with gantries and automated payment mechanisms, similar to Singapore's Electronic Road Pricing system, to allow vehicles to pass through toll points without needing to stop or slow down.
On Dec 11, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the main roadblock to implementing the MLFF system, which is still in the negotiation phase, was the difficulty in finalising the governance structure.
Nanta said the process involves numerous parties, particularly gaining approval from all involved concession companies. He said the ministry also faced a major challenge in drafting a bill for the implementation of the system.
On Nov 21, Ahmad said a new concessionaire intends to implement MLFF in addition to the 33 concessionaires, which operate in 33 areas, covering about 2,000km.
He said PLUS Malaysia, which oversees more than 1,000km of highways, opposes the overlapping concession, as it claimed it could implement MLFF independently.
In February, the Public Accounts Committee said it had initiated proceedings regarding the implementation of the MLFF project under the Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authority.
In December 2023, an online portal reported on a protest by 32 highway concessionaires against the government's move to directly award the project to a private company.
Quoting sources, the report claimed that the government signed an appointment agreement with the company on Nov 17, awarding the RM3.46 billion project without consulting the concessionaires, who will foot the bill for its implementation.