ECRL: Selangor insists on ‘southern alignment’ passing through Kuala Langat
The Selangor government today reiterated its stand that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) must stay on its southern Selangor course, cutting through the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve.
In a statement, state executive councillor for public transport, Ng Sze Han, said the state has never approved for ECRL railway to be built through the northern part of the state.
"For information, the state government maintains our stand that Section C of ECRL construction project must continue on its southern alignment, including the Kuala Langat area....
The Selangor government today reiterated its stand that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) must stay on its southern Selangor course, cutting through the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve.
In a statement, state executive councillor for public transport, Ng Sze Han, said the state has never approved for ECRL railway to be built through the northern part of the state.
"For information, the state government maintains our stand that Section C of ECRL construction project must continue on its southern alignment, including the Kuala Langat area which is located on the southern part of this state.
"We would like to stress that in several engagement sessions with MRL before this, the Selangor government has never given any decision agreeing to the plan to build ECRL through the northern side," he said.
Development plans
Ng's statement comes after Malaysiakini carried out an article yesterday, where ECRL project owner Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) said that the rail line will not travel through southern Selangor or Kuala Langat.
He said the decision that ECRL must stay on its southern alignment was in line with the Selangor economic development plans, including several projects which have been set by local authorities to develop areas in the southern part of the state.
"Since this project was launched in 2017, the state government has decided that ECRL is not to go through the northern part (of the state).
"This is why there has been no approval given for construction of ECRL rail link at the area," Ng said.
The Kinrara state assemblyperson also defended the state government's move to degazette a portion of the Northern Kuala Langat forest reserve to make way for the rail link.
Back in April, the previous Perikatan Nasional government realigned this portion of the rail line so that it would travel through northern Selangor before terminating at Port Klang.
This is also called the BN-era alignment as it was first proposed by the former BN administration.
Mixed-development project
At the time, the Selangor government had disagreed with the change and insisted on the previous Pakatan Harapan-era alignment.
The previous alignment would have travelled through southern Selangor, cutting through 21.4ha of the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve.
Even then, MRL had not advocated for any degazettement, preferring instead to apply for permission to use that portion of the protected forest.
Last week, the Selangor government reversed its much-criticised move to degazette 563.7ha of Kuala Langat (North) for a mixed-development project.
However, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said a portion of the forest would remain degazetted for the ECRL project alignment.
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