KUALA TERENGGANU: The gas pipeline leakage involving PETRONAS Gas Bhd (PGB) at the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project site in Kerteh last Saturday (Sept 20) will not affect the progress of the project, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said immediate action was taken to shut off the gas supply once the leak was detected, followed by repair works by the relevant parties.
"I don't think it will affect (ECRL progress) because usually when a gas pipeline leaks, it does not explode. It is not the same as the incident in Putra Heights, it's different.
"Although there was a leak, immediate action was taken to stop the supply. The leakage needs to be fixed and the pipeline repaired straight away," he told reporters after officiating the BAS.MY Kuala Terengganu Service Transformation Programme at Pasar Payang here Monday (Sept 22).
Bernama had reported that police had closed the main Kerteh-Ranggon road to all vehicles following the gas leak at the ECRL Section 5 site on Saturday morning.
Loke said the incident is currently being investigated by several agencies, including SIRIM, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and other relevant authorities.
"Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) has already submitted a report to me and NIOSH is also conducting its own probe. Since this involves PETRONAS' gas pipeline, repairs will be carried out by them, and I am confident this matter can be resolved promptly," he said.
As for the cause of the leak, Loke said that a full report has yet to be received.
"The cause has not yet been determined, we have not obtained the full report. The timeline for repairs can only be explained by PETRONAS since it involves their asset," he said, adding that the incident is not expected to disrupt the overall ECRL development.
Meanwhile, in his speech earlier, Loke said the Federal Government has allocated RM40.81mil over five years, or RM8.16mil annually, to support eight routes under the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme in Kuala Terengganu.
"Since the expansion of BAS.MY Kuala Terengganu in February this year from four routes to eight routes, the average monthly ridership has increased to 24,000 passengers up to August 2025," he said.
The BAS.MY implementation in Kuala Terengganu covers eight routes across four local authorities - Kuala Terengganu City Council, Hulu Terengganu District Council, Setiu District Council and Marang District Council. - Bernama
