KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will stand as a symbol of enduring friendship between Malaysia and China while delivering tangible benefits to both countries, China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said.
“We look forward to seeing the ECRL become a shining symbol of the fruitful cooperation between China and Malaysia, a landmark project that delivers tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries,” he said, adding that it would stand as a lasting testament to the enduring friendship between the two nations.
Ouyang told a media briefing here Tuesday that the ECRL, a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project between China and Malaysia, had completed track laying, with overall construction progress reaching 94 per cent.
He said Phase I of the project is expected to be delivered by the end of the year, marking a transition in bilateral cooperation from high-quality construction to high-standard operations.
Ouyang said the ECRL, the largest single transport infrastructure project currently being built overseas by Chinese enterprises, demonstrates the depth of Malaysia-China cooperation in project management, workforce training and technical standards.
He said the two countries signed a joint railway operations and maintenance agreement in 2024 and that China has helped train more than 1,000 Malaysian railway professionals.
Ouyang said the construction phase alone has created more than 20,000 jobs and benefited thousands of Malaysian businesses through subcontracting arrangements.
Once completed, he said, the ECRL would serve as a land bridge linking the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, reducing travel time by approximately half and making transportation more convenient for local communities.
Ouyang said the railway would further integrate industrial and supply chains, improve logistics efficiency nationwide, enhance Malaysia’s attractiveness to investors and support the growth of tourism, mining, shipping and related industries.
The project also has the potential to connect with the broader Pan-Asian Railway Network, injecting new momentum into regional economic growth, he said.
“With the joint efforts of both sides, the project is expected to become a model and benchmark for Belt and Road cooperation, significantly enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity,” he said.
