‘Critical’ with RTS Link launch: Johor’s caretaker chief minister calls on Putrajaya to expedite ART rail plan
Onn Hafiz Ghazi made the call on Johor's elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project at an event on Tuesday (Jun 16) attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
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KULAI: Johor’s caretaker Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi has urged the federal government to expedite the implementation of the state’s elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project, in what appears to be his second call in as many weeks for the project’s progress.
He stressed that the ART is Johor’s “most critical long-term solution” to absorb an expected surge in passenger movement in Johor Bahru once the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link starts its operations scheduled for January 2027.
Speaking at an event at Kulai railway station on Tuesday (Jun 16) that was also attended by Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Onn Hafiz said that while there are short-term and medium-term measures being undertaken, these are only interim solutions.
These include expanding park-and-ride facilities, implementing smart traffic management systems and reorganising the movement of buses, taxis and e-hailing vehicles at JB Sentral. JB Sentral is the primary transport hub in Johor Bahru.
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“These measures are necessary because the main project capable of dispersing traffic from the RTS (Link) has yet to begin.
"Therefore, there is one project that we must continue to focus on and expedite, namely the ART project,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
Onn Hafiz said that while the proposal had been tabled to Cabinet in 2024, no physical works had yet commenced.
"The question now is when will this project start? The people of Johor want to know when we can conduct a site visit together for this project.
"From my understanding, the Letter of Award has yet to be issued. Even after work begins, the project is expected to take between four and five years to complete," he said, according to local news platform the New Straits Times.
An ART system is typically an autonomous train-bus hybrid network running on roads. Its carriages, which run on rubber wheels, use sensors that enable the vehicle to follow a route defined by a virtual track.
The ART system is already under construction in the Borneo state of Sarawak with parts of the route targeted for operation by end-2026.
CNA had previously reported that a lack of clarity over rail plans in Johor Bahru had heightened fears of a worsening bottleneck congestion in the state capital ahead of the RTS Link launch.
This was even after Loke had in May said that the federal government had approved the RM10 billion (US$2.5 billion) ART project. There was also confusion over how the rail network plan is moving ahead, amid ambiguity over the operational system in which the project will ultimately be based on.
URGENCY NEEDED: ONN HAFIZ
On Tuesday, Onn Hafiz said that the ART project was more than just “another infrastructure project”.
"I believe the federal government's commitment and urgency in implementing this project will have a tremendous impact on the people of Johor, particularly in reducing congestion and improving daily mobility.
"This is the kind of federal intervention that can truly be felt, appreciated and remembered by the people,” he said.
Onn Hafiz drew comparison to Penang’s Mutiara Line Light Rapid Transit (LRT) project – which carries a budget ceiling of RM16.8 billion and has entered the construction phase – and said that Johor deserved “equal attention” from the federal government.
"We are happy for Penang because every state deserves quality public transport infrastructure. However, we also hope Johor's needs will receive the same level of attention and priority," he said.
Penang is a state controlled by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, of which Loke’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) is a component party. Meanwhile, Johor had been held by the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition prior to the dissolution of its state legislative assembly earlier this month.
PH is the largest coalition within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.
The event in Kulai on Tuesday was held amid a backdrop of a war of words between Onn Hafiz and DAP chief Loke, which include squabbles related to invitations to events by the transport ministry and the Johor state government’s involvement in federal transport initiatives.
It also follows Onn Hafiz’s remarks at a BN machinery launch on Jun 7 when he said that he would rather give up the chief minister’s post than sit at the same table with DAP.
Last week, Onn Hafiz called on the federal government to expedite the ART project during a visit to Malaysian media company Media Prima Berhad.
“Sometimes when I speak out (on this matter), I am seen as being pushy, but I am pushing with reason,” he had said then, as reported by Malaysian Malay-language outlet Berita Harian.
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