BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Xinhua): Brunei's government has not offered or appointed any local or foreign company to undertake the Trans-Borneo Railway project, according to an official statement.
The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications said in the statement that there had been no discussions on the project at the governmental level, including between the states and relevant stakeholders.
"For a project of such scale, it would undoubtedly require the commitment from each respective government first," said the ministry.
The statement was made in response to issues concerning the project.
Brunei-based Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd recently claimed that it would implement the US$70 billion (RM330 billion) project, which aims to shorten travel times between Brunei, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Sabah.
The company outlined plans for the project, including two phases covering routes spanning over 1,600km, to be served by high-speed trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 350km/h.
On Monday, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said Putrajaya had not given any approval for such a project, and that the tender for a feasibility study on a similar proposal would only be opened in May.
Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg also said the state government had not received any official communication or approach from the project’s proponent. He said he had only become aware of it through recent media reports.
