Highway proposed to link Tanjung Malim and Lumut

PARIT BUNTAR: The Finance Ministry has registered a proposed construction of a new highway alignment that will connect Tanjung Malim to Lumut.

In confirming the matter, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the highway was necessary to facilitate export logistics services through the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMIC) when the High Technology Automotive Valley (AHTV) project in Tanjung Malim begins operation.

“If the products produced at LuMIC are sent to Port Klang (Selangor), it will create further congestion. That’s why we want to empower Lumut Port.

“We want this highway project to be built at the same time as the AHTV development so that once the factories are operational, the products produced can be sent directly through the new highway,” he said after launching a 50-megawatt solar power plant and presenting Perak Sejahtera housing loan offer letters to 30 squatter residents in Sungai Kerian yesterday.

Saarani said the registration of the project was a follow-up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Perak.

“We have listed 10 things to the prime minister for implementation in this state for consideration at the federal level.

“We understand that the Finance Ministry has registered the proposed highway as a priority project and the Economic Planning Unit will study its implementation,” he said.

On the power plant, Saarani said the solar farm costing RM250 million is capable of generating green energy for 25,000 households a year, reducing an estimated 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

He added that the construction of the solar farm was in line with the Green Technology Agenda (Solar and Hydro) in the Prosperous Perak Development Plan 2030.

“It is an initial step to make the Kerian district a high-tech and green development hub as planned by the government in developing the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park in this district.“