As the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) achieves 85% completion, Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) has been instructed to closely monitor its implementation and ensure there are no further disruptions, chief secretary to the government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said recently, according to a Bernama report.
Some 1.2 km of signalling cables and 81 outdoor transformer units along the track alignment have been stolen since communication, information and signalling system installation began in March at the Kota SAS (Sultan Ahmad Shah) station. Similar thefts have also been detected at Paya Besar, Cherating, Kuantan Port City, Chukai, Dungun, Kemasik and Pasir Puteh.
“I am confident that this ECRL project will become a landmark of national pride and a catalyst for economic revitalisation along its alignment and surrounding areas, directly benefiting the people and the nation. This is in line with the ‘Kesejahteraan’ (prosperity) element in the MADANI principle, which can only be realised through a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach via federal-state-private sector synergy,” he said on Facebook recently.
The 665 km-long rail project connecting Kota Bharu to Port Klang is expected to cut travel time to four hours from seven by road (or over 12 hours during festive seasons). Phase 1 (Kota Bharu-Gombak Integrated Terminal) is scheduled for completion by December 2026, with operations set to begin in January 2027. Phase 2 (Gombak-Port Klang) is expected to be completed by December 2027 and become operational by January 2028.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Anyone wants to guess who is bearing the cost of these ‘specific’ stolen cables & transformers and who have access to it.
When the time they build don’t they foresee theft scenario?