SHAH ALAM: The government will conduct a feasibility study for a proposed railway linking Sabah and Sarawak to Indonesia, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook.
“Sarawak has requested a feasibility study. The ministry has requested an allocation to conduct the study,” Loke told reporters on the sidelines of the MSA International Symposium 2023 here today.
Putrajaya recently said it would consider Sarawak’s proposal for the project, known as the Trans-Borneo Railway.
Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg has said the project would boost the region’s economy.
The Trans-Borneo Railway was initially suggested by former prime minister Najib Razak to Indonesian president Joko Widodo in 2015 to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services.
“The request (from Sarawak) was made on the grounds of connecting ports along the coastal areas of the Borneo states, and the relocation of Indonesia’s capital city to Kalimantan,” Loke said.
He said no decision on the project would be made pending the study’s conclusion.