This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 3, 2026 - August 9, 2026

The Ministry of Transport’s recent confirmation that the Putrajaya monorail project — abandoned since 2004 — is no longer viable raises a troubling question: was there even a sound business case for it in the first place?

According to the ministry, the rail infrastructure, including the long abandoned underground tunnel has deteriorated to the point where reviving the project is no longer feasible. Yet the government had already spent an estimated RM799.34 million on the project, with RM797.18 million going towards development and a further RM2.16 million spent on maintaining a tunnel that was never used.

How did a project of this magnitude proceed without adequate due diligence? Was a comprehensive feasibility study conducted to assess projected ridership, traffic patterns, operating costs, fare affordability and long-term financial sustainability? Or were these critical considerations overlooked?

The Auditor General’s report in 2023 revealed that missing documents prevented auditors from determining why key changes were made or why the project was eventually abandoned. Such gaps in record-keeping are unacceptable for a publicly funded project involving nearly a billion ringgit.

Putrajaya is not an isolated case. The Melaka Monorail, built at a cost of RM15.9 million, suffered repeated technical breakdowns, intermittent operations and ultimately closure after attracting weak demand. The 1.6km monorail line along the scenic Melaka River now stands as another costly reminder of poor planning and wasted public funds.

These projects should not simply be dismissed as failed experiments. They represent substantial losses borne by taxpayers. The public deserves clear answers. Who approved these projects? Who benefited from them? Most importantly, who will be held accountable for the decisions that turned these monorails into expensive monuments to failed planning rather than effective public transport infrastructure? Such wanton waste of public funds is indefensible, especially as Malaysia has been running a budget deficit for nearly three decades and the hundreds of millions of ringgit down the drain could have benefited other essential areas.

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