By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, March 25 — The Selangor government maintains its stand in choosing the southern alignment that runs through Hulu Langat, Sepang, Kuala Langat districts to Westports, for the implementation of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) mega project.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and public amenities Izham Hashim said the decision was made based on the economic, heritage and environmental factors, as well as to address concerns over the Empangan Batu water catchment area in Hulu Yam and the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge in Gombak which is the longest quartz formation in the world.
He said previously the state government was given two alignment options, involving the northern part of Selangor via Gombak, Serendah and Port Klang, then it was changed to the southern part of the state involving Hulu Langat, Putrajaya, Kuala Langat and Port Klang (Westports) routes, but recently it was changed back to the northern areas with minor changes.
“Meetings were held over concerns that if the alignment goes through the Gombak water catchment area, it will give a direct impact on the Sungai Selangor basin which supplies 60 per cent of water for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“So the State Executive Council (MMKN) decided to support the implementation of the project based on the southern alignment for the benefit of the people and the state,” he told SelangorKini.
He explained the decision was made in relation to the development of the Selangor southern corridor, especially around Pulau Indah and Port Klang, as it could stimulate economic growth as well as have a direct impact on the expansion of Westports, which is expected to double its capacity by 2030.
He said the state government has from early on made preparation should the ECRL is implemented in the southern alignment, and even made efforts to ensure the land acquisition process are expedited as it realises the importance of the project for the country.
“We welcome any federal government project, but the only concern, in this case, is the alignment. Therefore, several aspects must be looked into and the best decision must be made to avoid problems when this project starts,” he said.
Based on the original alignment, the ECRL will pass through Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang before entering Selangor from the north via Gombak and head to Serendah and Port Klang.
During Pakatan Harapan (PAKATAN) administration, the alignment was changed to not pass through Bentong and Gombak according to its initial plan, in order to avoid constructing a 17.8 kilometres tunnel through the Quartz Ridge.
Instead, the route heads south through Mentakab to Kuala Klawang in Negeri Sembilan before entering Selangor via Hulu Langat, then to Putrajaya Sentral and finally to Port Klang (Westports).
The ECRL is expected to be completed in 2026 and the project has made good progress reaching 20.37 per cent in January compared to its original estimation of 19.39 per cent.
