Najib witnesses signing of ECRL agreement
BEIJING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday witnessed the signing of a supplementary agreement to facilitate the construction of the second phase of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) in Malaysia.
The signatories of the supplementary agreement to the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning agreement, signed in November last year, were Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) and China Communications Construction Company (M) Sdn Bhd.
Phase Two of the ECRL covers the stretch from the Integrated Transport Terminal (ITT) Gombak to Port Klang covering an estimated distance of 88km.
MRL chairman and director Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said the cost of construction for this section of the ECRL was RM9 billion.
“This brings the total construction cost to RM55 billion with Phase One from Wakaf Bharu in Kelantan to ITT Gombak costing RM46 billion as previously announced in November 2016,” said Irwan, who is also Treasury secretary-general.
The completion of the ECRL Project will link the Greater Klang Valley with the East Coast Economic Region (ECER).
The agreement was signed on behalf of MRL by Irwan and chief executive officer Darwis Abdul Razak.
Sun Ziyu, who is CCCC vicepresident, signed on behalf of the company.
“Phase Two will provide the vital connection to Port Klang. The ECRL underlines the importance of infrastructure to Peninsular Malaysia and its people,” said Irwan.
“Once completed, the people in the east coast of Malaysia will be connected to the central region and west coast.”
He said the construction of the 600km-rail line, one of the highimpact projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan, was scheduled to begin in the middle of the year.
Najib also witnessed the signing of a Framework Agreement for the construction of a key energy infrastructure project in Malaysia between Suria Strategic Energy Resources Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned company of Ministry of Finance Incorporated and China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd here.
This energy infrastructure project comprises a 370-km pipeline (Pengerang Multi Products Pipeline) that will connect the ongoing Multi Products Pipeline project, commencing from Melaka, to the Petronas refinery project under construction in Pengerang, Johor.