24 July 2024

The completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, expected by December 2026 with operations commencing in January 2027, is anticipated to significantly boost the socio-economic landscape of Pahang.

Mohd Zaidi bin Sharif, Chief of MRL Strategy Unit, said today the ECRL will bring about substantial changes to the state’s socio-economic fabric.

A public consultation session organised by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) in collaboration with local logistics industry players in Pahang and Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) was held in Kuantan today.

MRL reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that ECRL generates positive impacts on the development of the involved areas. The project aims not only to enhance inter-state connectivity but also to drive local economic growth.

However, concerns have been raised among industry players, particularly in the logistics sector, regarding potential disruptions to land transportation activities due to ECRL development.

There are apprehensions that changes in rail services, especially in transporting goods from Kuantan Port to other destinations, could adversely affect existing logistic operations.

To date, the ECRL project has achieved an overall progress rate of 68.68%, spanning four states: Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor. MRL highlighted that this initiative will create significant opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and generate more job prospects for local residents.

Dr. Noor Aishah Hassan, Director of MPC Pahang, emphasised the importance of conducting regular public consultation sessions to ensure accurate input and information dissemination to affected parties.

The establishment of ECRL is expected to enhance efficiency in the logistics and transportation sectors, thereby contributing to the overall performance improvement of service sectors in Pahang. MPC aims to increase the contribution of the logistics industry to the state’s GDP to 60%.

MPC Pahang fully supports this high-tech development, expecting it to enhance productivity and competitiveness in Pahang.

The public consultation session also saw strong support from local industry representatives, including the Chairman of Gebeng Industrial Support Group (GISG), Chairman of REHDA Pahang, and President of FMM East Coast.



Source : BusinessToday