KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 30): The land acquisition process for the Mass Rapid Transit 3 (MRT3) Circle Line project is expected to be completed in two years, according to Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim.
Speaking to the media after unveiling the TTDI-Deloitte MRT Station, Zarif said that MRT Corp is currently focusing on the land acquisition process, which involves over 1,000 lots of land, the majority of which are private lots.
As for the MRT3 tender process, Zarif said that it will depend on what the government decides.
MRT3, also known as the Circle Line, will serve as the final piece of the Klang Valley MRT network, connecting various mass rapid and light rail transits (LRTs) within the national conurbation to form a comprehensive network.
According to MRT Corp, the alignment of MRT3 will run along the perimeter of the city of Kuala Lumpur, connecting to existing MRT, LRT, KTM Komuter, and KL Monorail lines through 10 interchange stations.
Station naming rights programme
On the station naming rights programme initiated by MRT Corp, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said that the initiative will help alleviate the government's financial burden in maintaining the MRT infrastructure.
Loke said the government welcomes more private-sector participation in the naming rights programme.
"Under this programme, corporations with headquarters near the station can acquire naming rights. In return, the acquiring corporation will be responsible for the maintenance of the station in terms of its infrastructure and cleanliness," Loke explained.
The programme is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, providing opportunities for corporations or brands to bid for the right to transform a station and reflect the brand’s corporate identity by naming the station after themselves.
The programme, initiated in 2017, has seen eight stations branded, including five on the Kajang Line: TTDI-Deloitte, Pavilion Damansara Heights-Pusat Bandar Damansara, Manulife-Semantan, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur-Bukit Bintang, and AEON-Maluri.
The remaining branded stations fall under the MRT Putrajaya Line, and are Cyberjaya Utara-Finexus, Conlay-Kompleks Kraf, and Raja Uda-UTM.
Regarding revenue collected under this programme, Loke said that MRT Corp is bound by non-disclosure agreements signed with the respective companies, and therefore is unable to disclose specific figures.