The Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) has instructed the Mass Rail Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) to propose cost-cutting measures for its Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP Line) project.

Its chief executive officer Shahril Mokhtar said this after meeting with the council at Menara Ilham in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

“We discussed how we could reduce the cost for Line 2 (SSP Line). We are trying our best to reduce the cost further to save the rakyat's money.

“No (target) figures were shared... but now it is on our part to find ways to do it,” he added.

It was reported that the MRT Line 2 would cost RM32 billion. Comprising 35 stations in total, it was originally slated for completion in 2022.

The government previously announced that the MRT Circle Line (Line 3) had been cancelled for now, as part of cost-cutting measures.

Meanwhile, KTM Berhad (KTMB) chief executive officer Mohd Rani Hisham Samsuddin also met with the council this morning.

Speaking to reporters later, he said the steep RM5.9 billion price tag for phase two of upgrading works for the KTM Klang Valley Double Track (KVDT) project was discussed but did not disclose details.

Asked why KTMB had agreed to the contract, Mohd Rani replied it had been a Transport Ministry deal.

“As far as we are concerned, it was a Transport Ministry contract. It has nothing to do with KTMB, we are not a party to that contract, that is important.

“So the one who had to negotiate the contract was the ministry,” he added.

The contract was agreed to during former transport minister Liew Tiong Lai's tenure.

His successor Anthony Loke recently said the government was reviewing the project as it could not stomach the cost.

He also said the contract had been awarded through direct tender.