KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The government will renegotiate with the Chinese government and the main contractor of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project for the latest updates on the Mentakab-Port Klang alignment costs and project schedule.

Deputy Transport Minister Hasbi Habibollah said the renegotiation had to be undertaken after the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government suspended the original Mentakab-Port Klang alignment, which passed through Bentong and Gombak before ending in Port Klang.

“The original Mentakab-Port Klang route is being studied and fine-tuned, especially the route through Bentong, Gombak and to Port Klang.

“The results of the negotiations between the relevant parties will then be presented to the government (Cabinet) for its final decision on the alignment (on whether it will follow the original route or not),” he said at a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara here today.

He said this in reply to a question from Senator Datuk Ismail Ibrahim about the government’s plan to realign the original route of the ECRL, which goes through Bentong, Gombak and to Port Klang.

Hasbi clarified that the original ECRL proposal in 2018 took into account the construction of the track system’s metre gauge for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and the standard gauge for the ECRL to be built from Serendah to Port Klang.

He said the Serendah station was identified as a suitable interchange for passengers and cargo between KTMB and the ECRL.

“Through these two services, it will indirectly integrate and improve the rail network between the East Coast states and the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

The previous PH administration changed the line to bypass Bentong and Gombak with the aim of avoiding the construction of a 17.8 kilometre-long tunnel that passes through the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, a natural pure quartz dyke.

On the other hand, the alignment line starting from Mentakab will go south through Kuala Klawang (Negri Sembilan) before entering Selangor via Bangi and Kajang and then towards Putrajaya Sentral and finally to Port Klang. — Bernama