Thumbs up for a Trans-Borneo Railway

Free Malaysia Today

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said that the railway will enhance the region’s connectivity, potentially leading to an economic boom in the area.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/10/24/trans-borneo-railway-good-on-paper-but-focus-on-roads-says-economist/  Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2023/10/24/kereta-api-trans-borneo-bagus-tetapi-fokus-jalan-raya-dahulu-kata-ahli-ekonomi/  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Rn6xEV Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on Twitter: http://bit.ly/2OCwH8a  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2OKJbc6 Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3cpbWKK Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/2VUfOrv Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3B1e8lN Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39dBDbe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #TransBorneoRailway #Borneo #Kalimantan

Transcript

00:00 Few inventions have shaped the course of human history like the railway.

00:07 Think of the Industrial Revolution, World War II, China's rise as an economic powerhouse,

00:12 and the list goes on.

00:15 Railways have facilitated the movement of people, commodities, and goods at an unmatched

00:19 scale for years, and they continue to do so.

00:22 It's no wonder that many are getting excited over the idea of a railway linking Sabah,

00:28 Sarawak, Indonesia, and possibly Brunei.

00:31 The proposed project, known as the Trans-Borneo Railway, is not exactly a new idea.

00:36 It was first mooted in 2015, but nothing materialized.

00:40 Now Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg reignited interest in the project in calling for its

00:46 construction.

00:47 And it's understandable.

00:49 A lot has changed since 2015.

00:52 For one, East Kalimantan on Indonesian Borneo will serve as the Republic's new capital,

00:57 called Indosantara, and if it materializes, Sabah and Sarawak will benefit big time.

01:02 So it is a very strategic move for the country to build the Trans-Borneo Railway because

01:09 it will definitely give an economic spillover to Sabah and Sarawak.

01:14 And improving the connectivity between Sabah and Sarawak will also improve the economic

01:19 situation of that part of the country.

01:22 In Sarawak's case, it will also make it easier for the state to move its resources,

01:26 Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamza says.

01:31 We are still in the process of development.

01:34 There are a lot of minerals, oil palm and all that that need to be brought along.

01:40 Sometimes we should also consider if it is feasible for the new mode of transportation

01:48 of all these minerals as well as resources.

01:53 But is the Trans-Borneo Railway what East Malaysia needs now?

01:56 Ferdowsi Sufian from Sabah UITM doesn't think so, despite the project's merits.

02:02 I think there are other priorities that we have to focus on first.

02:06 Of course, it's the route, the Pantborneo, which Sarawak has almost completed, but not

02:13 Sabah.

02:15 So I think that one is a priority.

02:17 Also if you look at debilitating schools, it's also a priority.

02:22 There's also the question of whether the Trans-Borneo Railway project is feasible.

02:27 And this is something the government will look at.

02:29 Earlier this month, Transport Minister Lok Sifuk Setputrajaya will carry out a feasibility

02:34 study for the proposed railway.

02:37 Still, Wan Agil says the merits of the project must be seen beyond its construction costs.

02:43 Public transportation like rail, buses, is not meant to be profitable.

02:49 It should be seen as an investment of the government to improve the economic situations

02:55 of that particular area, because it will be an enabler to improve the economic situations

03:02 of Sabah and Sarawak.

03:03 So we need to ask ourselves this question.

03:06 Do we want to build the infrastructure to gain profit, or we want to build the infrastructure

03:12 to enable the economic growth of that region?

03:16 Dhanushwari Raza and Natasha Bust, FMT News.

03:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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