Undersea tunnel to Sumatra mulled

> RM78b project linking Bagan Datuk to Indonesia will be private initiative, says Zahid

SERDANG: The government is looking into the possibility of constructing an undersea tunnel to connect Sumatra in Indonesia to Peninsular Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The tunnel would connect Bagan Datuk in Perak to Sumatra, the sixth largest island in the world.

He said the project was estimated to cost about US$20 billion (RM78.18 billion).

“Engagement is being done with parties outside of the administration of the federal and state governments.”

“Therefore, it will be a private initiative and we leave it to the private sector to get the necessary approvals,” he told a press conference after attending a National Transformation 2050 event at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid said the government had held discussions with Indonesia on the project, adding that an environmental impact assessment would also be conducted.

“As it would involve the cooperation of members of Asean, several procedures need to be followed,” he said.

“Full approval must be received from the Malaysian and Indonesian governments, as well as the governors of several provinces in Indonesia.”

Ahmad Zahid said once completed, the tunnel would boost the economies of both countries and transform Bagan Datuk into a national logistics hub.

He added the tunnel would allow better connectivity to other regions in Malaysia once the West Coast Expressway (WCE) is completed.

“From Bagan Datuk, we can get to Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh via the WCE. From Ipoh to Bukit Kayu Hitam (in Kedah), to Bangkok, Kunming and Beijing (in China). The starting point of it all is Bagan Datuk,” he said.

On another issue, Ahmad Zahid said a special prison would be built in Bagan Datuk for those involved in terrorism activities.