Land public transport a pathway to higher productivity, better living conditions - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the country's land public transport agenda is not just about mega infrastructure projects because of greater importance is that it is a pathway to higher productivity and better living conditions for Malaysians.

The Prime Minister noted that in the long run, a reliable, integrated and modern land public transport network would accelerate socio-economic growth and improve the quality of the environment, all of which was crucial for the sustainable development of Malaysia.

"It was for these reasons that we made transformation of public transport a key agenda under the National Transformation Programme (NTP) journey," he said when addressing the Land Public Transport Symposium here yesterday.

Citing the landmark success of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT Line 1, Najib said people could see how land public transport could become a real game-changer in transforming the lifestyle of Malaysians by reducing traffic congestion and paving the way for green mobility and reduction of carbon emissions in Greater Kuala Lumpur.

He said that the MRT project was, from conception to delivery, a priority for him and a project which he personally oversaw every stage of its progress.

"Apart from wanting the rakyat to experience greater ease of commute in the city, I also did not want Kuala Lumpur to be known internationally more for its traffic woes than anything else, like some other cities in the region. We needed the best solution to alleviate traffic congestion coming into the city centre.

"Alhamdulillah, the outcome and reception of the MRT Line 1 has been tremendous. The successful completion of the MRT Line 1 proves that we are capable of completing one of the most advanced mass rapid infrastructure projects in the history of this country," Najib said.

Noting that the project was completed ahead of schedule and RM2 billion below budget. he said this was, by any standards, an outstanding achievement for any country.

"One of the main factors contributing to this has been the hard work of thousands of Malaysians employed for the project who successfully made it a reality," the Prime Minister said.

He said the government was looking to fast track the proposed MRT Line 3 project covering areas such as Bandar Malaysia, Mont Kiara, Sentul, Midvalley and Setiawangsa.

Najib also provided updates on other transport initiatives undertaken under his administration covering rail, bus and taxi services and others.

He spoke about the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project that would certainly generate economic benefits for both countries as well as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) that would unleash the hidden potential of the less developed region of Peninsular Malaysia's east coast.