MRT Co takes over

Putrajaya: The Cabinet has set up MRT Co, a company under the Minister of Finance Inc, to directly oversee the multi-billion ringgit Klang Valley MY Rapid Transit (MRT) project.


MRT Co will officially become MY Rapid Transit project and asset owner, currently held by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, from September 1.

The government will name a local as MRT Co's chief executive officer at a later date, according to a statement by Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) yesterday.

"MRT Co's immediate and critical priority is to focus on ensuring the smooth implementation of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line," Pemandu said.

With MRT Co in the picture, Prasarana will now be able to focus on its role to ensure an efficient and reliable public transportation service in the Klang Valley, it added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in the statement that the government is fully committed to the timely and cost-effective delivery of the project.

He said it is necessary to have a dedicated unit focusing solely on ensuring that the country's biggest ever infrastructure is implemented with undivided attention to details, while maintaining transparent governance throughout the process.

"Ideally, and as we have heard from the public many times, having an efficient transport system in Klang Valley is extremely critical," Najib said.

MRT Co's immediate tasks will be to improve the current light rail transit services and line expansion projects, as well as expand monorail capacity and existing bus services, and resolve congested routes.

The company will have a project management and technical team comprising experts in mass rail. The team will also include experts seconded from Prasarana's MRT team.

Its scope of responsibility involves project monitoring and tracking of the construction of all elevated structures, stations, depots as well as underground works, including tunneling and stations.

Prasarana's subsidiary RapidKL will be the operator of MY Rapid Transit once it is completed.

MMC-Gamuda serves as the project delivery partner.

Other parties involved include the Land Public Transport Commission as the supervising agency.