Brunei Proposes Construction Of Fast Trains To Pass Malaysia And Kalimantan, Ministry Of Transportation: No Talk Yet

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has been outspoken about Brunei Darussalam's plan to build a high-speed train to Kalimantan. The Ministry of Transportation emphasized that the plan had not yet become an official agreement between countries.

As for Brunei's company, Brunergy Utama claims to have worked out a plan to build a high-speed train with Malaysia and Indonesia. Later, this project will connect Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and the territory of Indonesia, in Kalimantan.

Director General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation Risal Wasal said he explained that the idea came from the Brunei company which has the concept of building a railway line of more than 1,600 kilometers (km).

"There is no talk to us yet. Suddenly, he just passed it out to Kalimantan. The track doesn't know yet, there's no talk at all," he told reporters, written Wednesday, April 3.

In fact, Risal also admitted that his party had not yet received a proposal regarding the plan to build the high-speed rail project that Brunei wanted to build.

"There is no (proposal submitted) yet, nothing at all," he said.

Risal also said that this plan was not from the Malaysian government, but from Brunei. He said that previously there was a Trans Asia Railway project proposed by the Malaysian government, but the project had not yet been implemented.

"Trans Asian Railway does exist, it connects from Kalimantan to Sarawak. But we haven't started that yet," he said.

"It's different (with Trans Asian Railway). So Brunei owns a train company, joins Malaysia, proposes that," he continued.