KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — The construction cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project from Kota Baru to Port Klang along 665 kilometres (km) and 20 stations in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor remains at RM50.27 billion, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) as the owner of the ECRL project is subject to the Land Acquisition Act (APT) 1960 for the lands involved in the ECRL project.

Based on APT 1960, the state authorities, he said, can acquire any land that is needed for the purpose of development for the public.

According to him, the Department of Director-General of Lands and Mines (JKPTG) together with MRL will identify any remaining land that is uneconomic as a result of land acquisition by the ECRL project.

"If the remaining land is less than 0.25 hectares from the gazette of Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, the land will be taken in its entirety. Compensation payments named as ‘injurious affection and severance’ will also be given to land owners for lands that no longer provide profit value due to land separation or the condition of the size and shape of the land left after the acquisition is done,” he said.

He said this when answering a question by Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib (PN-Maran) during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ismail wanted to know the final cost of the ECRL construction and what actions should be taken by the government to solve the problem of part of the owner’s land involved in land acquisition because the land can no longer be used as a result of the ECRL construction.

Loke said the Property Valuation and Services Department (JPPH) will conduct a detailed study on the claimed losses and advise JKPTG on the appropriate amount of compensation.

"Next, the JKPTG will offer the amount of compensation received on the day of the trial. Compensation payments will be made within three months after MRL receives the total compensation offer recommended by JKPTG.

"Land owners can object to the amount of compensation offered by submitting a written appeal to the High Court within six weeks after the issuance of the written compensation offer,” he said. — Bernama