KOTA BARU: The Kelantan government is thankful to the federal government for agreeing to continue with the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said through this project, two rail stations — Kota Baru and Tok Bali in Pasir Puteh — would be built in the state.
“We see this decision to have a big impact on the people in Kelantan, especially in providing employment opportunities in various fields related to construction and transportation,” he said in a statement, here today.
Ahmad said the ECRL project would also up the state’s economic development tempo with the availability of a more efficient transport facility, capable of managing the transaction of a variety of goods and on a big scale.
He said this would indirectly change the entrepreneurial landscape to become more conducive and competitive for all Malaysians.
“If the ECRL is managed well and follow the actual standards, it will give Malaysia another international-class facility to propel it to become a developed nation,“ he added.
Last Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the ECRL project would resume at a lower construction cost of RM44 billion.
The construction cost of the ECRL Phase 1 and 2 was reduced by RM21.5 billion from the original sum of RM65.5 billion.
The reduction was achieved after Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) signed a supplementary agreement (SA) with China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC).
The SA covers the aspects of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the ECRL. — Bernama
