Infrastructure Weekly | 26 May – 1 Jun 2025
ECRL enters its systems era, federal roads get a RM350 m facelift, and a Saudi giant bets US$10 b on Malaysia’s green‐energy build-out.
This week Malaysia saw its biggest rail job shift from concrete to computers, fresh cash for 563 federal‐road maintenance contracts, and East Malaysia’s trans-Borneo highway push another stretch forward. On the policy front, Sarawak unveiled an integrity code that tightens the screws on public-works procurement, while across the Gulf, Saudi utility ACWA Power inked a US$10 b memorandum that could turbo-charge Malaysia’s renewable pipeline. Here are the take-aways project leaders need to know.
Feature Story – ECRL Begins Station Systems Installation
On 30 May, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) planted its first Customer Information & Signalling (CIS) racks at Kota SAS Station in Pahang, marking the megaproject’s transition from heavy civil to systems fit-out. Project owner MRL confirmed overall progress at 82.45 % and said the 665 km line is “on schedule” for June 2026 testing and January 2027 service entry. Crews will now roll out CIS, SCADA and telecom packages to 19 other stations in rapid succession, while CRRC prepares to ship the first of 11 six-car EMU sets later this year. Managers emphasise that systems works will intensify night-time track possessions, affecting logistics windows for nearby road projects.
On the Ground – Project Snapshots
RTS Link hits diplomatic spotlight. During PM Anwar’s one-day trip to Singapore on 31 May, leaders reviewed the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link, reaffirming its end-2026 opening and noting civil works on both sides of the Causeway are “well past the halfway mark”.
Road-care blitz funded. Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan announced a RM350 million allocation for 563 federal-road maintenance projects—from resurfacing to slope repairs—across Peninsular Malaysia under the 2025 roll-out. Tenders will be staggered from July.
Sarawak–Sabah Link Road (SSLR) gathers pace. Sarawak’s DUN was told on 28 May that Phase 1 has hit 52.27 % physical completion, while Phase 2 site-clearing is now underway. The 336 km trunk will erase the Brunei detour once fully open in 2029.
KL–Karak expansion pre-works start. Concessionaire ANIH Bhd confirmed early slope-trimming and drainage upgrades for the KL–Karak Highway widening, a 48-month programme adding a third lane and smart ITS. Major traffic diversions begin after Raya Haji.
Policy Watch
Sarawak Procurement Ethics Code (29 May). The state launched a mandatory ethics charter for all ministries and contractors, embedding e-Quotation transparency, black-list triggers for conflict-of-interest breaches, and random audits by the Auditor-General. Stage 3 (e-Tender module) goes live in Q3 2025—firms bidding Sarawak jobs should update compliance playbooks now.
International Perspective – ACWA Power’s US$10 b Malaysian Play
Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power signed an MoU with MIDA on 29 May to develop up to 12.5 GW of renewables and large-scale desalination in Malaysia by 2040, backed by an initial US$10 b (≈RM47 b) investment. The plan dovetails with the National Energy Transition Roadmap and could spawn utility-scale floating solar, pumped hydro and hydrogen-ready CCGTs—new frontiers for local EPCs and O&M specialists.