Malaysia to present trans-Asia railway plan at ASEAN summit

Asian Economic News, Oct 2, 2000

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 28 Kyodo

The Malaysian government has endorsed a trans-Asia railway plan linking Singapore and Kunming in southern China, the Business Times daily reported Thursday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will present a feasibility study on the plan to leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the grouping's Nov. 24-25 summit in Singapore, the report said.

Quoting Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik, the newspaper said the cabinet gave the go-ahead during its weekly meeting on Wednesday after being presented with the feasibility study, which was conducted by two private consulting firms.

''The recommendations will now be deliberated upon by ASEAN leaders,'' said Ling, who heads the committee that prepared the study.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ling said the report will also be presented at the ASEAN plus three meeting, referring to the grouping's meeting with Japan, China and South Korea, and also at next month's Asia-Europe Meeting in Seoul.

Malaysia was tasked with conducting the feasibility study on the $2.5 billion project after the Malaysian premier mooted it at the fifth ASEAN summit in Bangkok in 1995.

''The study took into consideration various things...the engineering works involved, the socio-economy of the surrounding areas and issues related to cross-border movements of goods. The next step is to consider ways to implement the recommendations,'' Ling was quoted as saying.

The consultants proposed that the main railway line connect Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Hanoi and Kunming. Two branch lines would also be laid between Vientiane in Laos and the Vung Anh port in Vietnam, and between Myanmar and Thailand.

The project is expected to kicked off in 2003 and completed by 2006.