The Chief Minister of Malacca State Government, Sulaiman Md Ali, has revealed that the state government intends to build an undersea tunnel for a rail system network to connect Malacca with Dumai in Indonesia. The tunnel project, which is part of a long-term strategy, will span about 47 kilometers across the Straits of Malacca.
Malacca Senior Executive Councilor for Investment, Industry and Entrepreneur Development Ab Rauf Yusoh indicated that one company has expressed interest in building the tunnel but can fund half of the overall project cost. It was noted that the Indonesian government’s cooperation and approval would be essential for the project to be implemented. The tunnel will take four to five years to build if all goes according to plan.
Bloomberg reported in 2019 that the Indonesian government was considering building a bridge between Malacca and Indonesia’s Sumatra as part of a USD 70 billion plan to link Indonesia’s islands with toll highways. The Malacca State Government has also promoted the Melaka (Malacca) Waterfront Economic Zone for investors, which entails the reclamation of a 23,000-acre land covering 33 kilometers. The zone is identified as suitable for shipping, maritime activities, logistics, and manufacturing sectors and would include a container center, ferry, and cruise ship terminal, duty-free zone, logistics hub, oil and gas terminal, ship repair facility, as well as for ship-to-ship transfer activities.
(Sources: The Star Online; Astro Awani; Free Malaysia Today)
