KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry is preparing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cross-border transport between Malaysia and Thailand.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the initiative was aimed at ensuring the realisation of cross-border rail movement.
He said the ministry would continue to follow up by refining the best alignment and model of cooperation with Thailand to determine the direction of the proposal.
“For this purpose, the ministry took the initiative to communicate with the Thai side. On May 2, the Thai deputy prime minister agreed to meet with the Malaysian transport minister in Bangkok.
“The Transport Ministry presented Malaysia’s proposal to explore this rail connection with Thailand. Thailand is seen to have given a positive response,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN–Pasir Mas) regarding the progress of the study on the extension of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project to Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.
Loke said the ministry was in the view that the ECRL should connect to Thailand rather than merely ending in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, to ensure long-term benefits for the country as well as to mobilise cross-border economic activity for the local population.
He said Thailand had responded positively to the proposal and was seeking a way forward and a clear stance from Malaysia’s Transport Ministry.
Loke said two key matters must be addressed before the proposal could enter the feasibility study phase.
“The first is the Thai government’s willingness to support this connection, including the infrastructure aspect on the Thai side.
“The second thing that needed to be detailed was whether the connection involved should use the ECRL infrastructure or Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB),” he said.
He added that the ministry had conducted site visits to the Rantau Panjang KTMB station, Sungai Golok bridge and the Kota Baru ECRL station with representatives from Thailand’s Transport Ministry.
He said the visits were conducted to assess the current condition of tracks, bridges, stations and other related infrastructure in Rantau Panjang.
“This is also important for the government to assess the total cost of the development involved,” he said.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
