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THE plan for the multi-billion Trans Borneo Railway project to connect Sarawak and Sabah to the Indonesian new capital of Nusantara in Kalimantan has been officially tabled in Parliament for discussions.
Lawmakers are of the opinion that the feasibility study being carried out now with an approved federal allocation of RM7 million from the Transport Ministry be expedited, and for ground construction of the railway routes to proceed.
Sarawak's Member of Parliament for Batang Sadong constituency Rodiyah Sapiee (of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu-Gabungan Parti Sarawak), said she raised the topic in the Dewan Rakyat for debate this week.
"The government at state and federal levels should hasten the feasibility study and approve the project and start ground construction. The plan for the Trans Borneo Railway project is a very good idea as there are currently 23 million people living on Borneo Island.
"To have a railway linking the whole island will bring tremendous socio-economic benefits. The new Indonesian capital of Nusantara is fast developing and very soon their population will increase by millions when the Indonesian capital is completely relocated there (from Jakarta to Nusantara).
"Having a proper railway linking east Malaysia to Nusantara will transform the whole of Borneo island, especially Sarawak and Sabah ," she said.
On Nov 13 last year, it was reported that the Sarawak state government had initiated high-level talks with Sabah state government leaders on the potential routes for the Trans Borneo Railway that will link the two states and connect to the Indonesian province of Kalimantan.
Deputy Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil had that day said this government-to-government discussions between the two Borneo states is a sign that both are truly committed to this mega railway project plan.
"The Federal Transport Ministry had kickstarted the process of getting in the international railway consultant to come to Borneo and look into the design planning, the proposed layout and the other crucial logistics.
"On our part, we (the Sarawak state government) have already started discussions with the Sabah state government leaders on the proposed routes for the Trans Borneo Railway.
"We are looking at suitable locations for the railway stations, the districts that will be linked, the supporting infrastructure facilities that we will have to put in place to facilitate the construction of the railway tracks plus all other aspects of planning and project management," he said during the question and answer session in the State Legislative Assembly sitting in Kuching today.
On Oct 20, it was reported that the proposed multi-billion-ringgit railway project have been categorised as a Mega Asean Connectivity project.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the proposed railway link is going to be one of the biggest railway projects in Asean.
"The ground survey for this project has already started in Sarawak. This proposed Trans Borneo Railway project was raised for discussions during the recent East Asean Growth Area (EAGA) ministerial meeting in Kota Kinabalu," he said earlier in his updates in the Sarawak Public Communications Unit social media site.
Tengah is also the state minister in charge of Sarawak's international trade and industry. – February 19, 2025
