Can Penang LRT project withstand Malaysia’s political shifts, asks consultant

Free Malaysia Today

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan says changes to the ruling coalition and leadership have historically impacted major projects.    Read More:     https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/12/14/can-penang-lrt-project-withstand-malaysias-political-shifts-asks-consultant/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.      Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW   Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG   Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP    #FMTNews #LRT #Penang

Transcript

00:00Transport consultant Wan Agil Wan Hassan has expressed concerns about the Penang LRT project's

00:07vulnerability to political changes, given Malaysia's history with similar infrastructure

00:11projects like the High Speed Rail and East Coast Rail Link, which faced discontinuations

00:16and renegotiations despite initial binding contracts.

00:20The founder of transport think tank MyMobilityVision said, projects, even at advanced stages like

00:25the HSR and MRT-3, were halted, adding that strong governance is essential for project

00:30continuity regardless of their developmental progress.

00:34He was commenting on Economy Minister Rafizieh Ramli's assurance that the Penang LRT project,

00:39which is approaching the contract award stage and would be costly to cancel, is likely to

00:43proceed even with governmental changes.

00:45However, Wan Agil said the unpredictability of Malaysia's political landscape, which

00:50has seen frequent shifts in power affecting major projects, raising questions about the

00:55Penang LRT's bipartisan support and its vulnerability to future political interference.

01:00Wan Agil advocated for a thorough analysis of the potential consequences of cancelling

01:05the LRT project, which could include job losses, a dip in investor confidence, and setbacks

01:10to urban and environmental goals in Penang.

01:13Meanwhile, Consul Tan from the Centre for Market Education said the project is somewhat

01:18shielded since it is under state government control and highlighted the broader benefits

01:22of the LRT in enhancing living standards and attracting investments.

01:27Dhanusha Dureza, FMT News.

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