Malaysia Govt Still Considering YTL Bullet Train Proposal

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- The government is still considering the YTL Corp Bhd's RM8.1 billion proposal to build a high-speed rail project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy today.
"The government has not made a final decision. We are still looking at the proposal," he told reporters after attending the MCA presidential council meeting here, Tuesday.
Chan, who is also MCA deputy president, was commenting on a news report that YTL would commence work on the project by year-end.
The report also said the proposed private finance initiative bullet train project was expected to be ready by end-2009.
Asked when the government was expected to make the decision, Chan said: "We don't want to set a time frame as the government has to thoroughly evaluate the project."
The report, which quoted a company official, also said the Malaysian and Singapore governments had given the thumbs-up for the project.
It said YTL has started work on the design and track laying (DTL) plan, which would include a prototype design quite similar to the bullet trains in Japan and Taiwan and would submit to the respective agencies for approval in the next four to six months.
The official also said the DTL plan was handled by experts who would also be studying details of environmental preservation and would involve minimal relocation of people along the stretch.

tunku: this is another project that will benefit singapore not malaysia.if the government to allow this project than the track should end in JB not singapore. just imagine 90 minutes to singapore with this bullet train, the airline industry will suffer for this sector and not only that klia will lose out to changi airport as more people will travel oversea from singapore.the singapore government now is considering for a bridge if this project is on, just look at their selfishness, if it's not benefited to them they don't agree with the bridge construction but now are looking into it. i hope the government will really look into this matter.don't sell malaysia pride anymore,please.if the bridge is to be constructed then make it high so that the ships can sail thru selat tebrau, don't just built it for this bullet train purposes only. we don't need this project as it is not cheap, the ticket for the bullet train will cost us higher than airasia or maybe mas to jb.are we going to build it for singapore?