PETALING JAYA: Phase 2 of the MRT2 project from the Kampung Batu station to Putrajaya Sentral is expected to start operating in January 2023 for the benefit of the people, says the Finance Minister.
Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz also said the government is committed to completing the 50.8km-long MRT3 project in Kuala Lumpur.
“Phase 1 of MRT3 is expected to be completed in 2028 while Phase 2 in 2030.
“This project involves a cost of RM50.2bil with a projected expenditure of RM3.3bil in 2023,” he said when tabling Budget 2023 yesterday.
He revealed that a total of RM16.5bil of the RM95bil allocated for development expenditure in Budget 2023 had been extended to the transport sector.
“This is through major infrastructure projects, especially the Pan Borneo Highway, Gemas-Johor Baru Electrified Double Track project, East Coast Rail Link, RTS Link and Central Spine Road.
“The Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak is expected to be fully completed soon, while the highway project in Sabah will be completed by 2024,” he said, adding that RM11.4bil had been set aside for repairing and maintaining transport assets, including federal roads.
Tengku Zafrul also announced that RM209mil in subsidies had been set aside for air transport to benefit people living in rural Sabah and Sarawak.
This will be spent on improving the infrastructure at seven airports in Sabah and Sarawak, including building wheelchair ramps.
He said this would benefit wheelchair users who fly with MASwings, the regional airline operating the rural air services in both states.
Other initiatives announced were RM90mil for public works in Sipitang (Sabah) and the replacement of the 34-year-old ferry between Kelantan’s Pengkalan Kubor and Tak Bai, which is just across the Golok River, for the benefit of some 30,000 residents in Tumpat.
RM1bil in funds will also be extended for the maritime and logistics sector by channelling the money for supporting industries of the oil and gas sector, including shipbuilding and repairs.
The minister also announced a RM90mil matching grant for inter-industry promotion and marketing, including the promotion of chartered flights, especially from the Middle East and East Asia.
He said the government together with Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd and foreign airlines will work on new direct routes to international destinations such as from Western Asia and the Middle East to Malaysia, including through the Kota Kinabalu and Penang international airports.
He also announced that the current import duty and excise duty exemption for complete-built-up electric vehicles (EV) to be extended for another year to Dec 31, 2024, which would benefit car companies planning on bringing in EVs.
