KUALA LUMPUR: Despite reinstating several components of the LRT3’s original plan, the government managed to keep the cost of the project well below its initial price tag, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister told the Dewan Rakyat that the total cost of the LRT3 project now stands at RM21.93bil, which is still RM9.72bil less than the original approved cost of RM31.65bil when the project was first introduced in 2015.
The savings came following a restructuring initiative in 2018, which initially slashed the cost down to RM16.63bil.
However, in 2024, the government decided to reinstate several aspects, including five additional stations, seven three-carriage trains, an expanded train depot in Johan Setia, 150 electric shuttle buses, and the construction of three bus depots.
“These reinstatements added RM5.3bil to the total cost, bringing it to RM21.93bil, still well under the original cost,” Loke said in a parliamentary written reply on Wednesday (July 30).
He added that as of July 10, the LRT3 line which connects Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya to Johan Setia in Klang had reached 99.21% completion.
He said the project had faced delays largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted works between March 2020 and October 2021.
“The movement control order (MCO) caused shortages in skilled and semi-skilled labour. Foreign worker entry permits were only resumed in November 2023,” said Loke.
He added that the MCO also triggered supply chain disruptions and building material shortages, particularly in steel and cement.
Loke was responding to a question by Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (PN–Permatang Pauh), who had asked about the reasons for the delay and the project's increased cost.
