SUNGAI BULOH: The construction of the Mass Rapid Transit Line 3 (MRT3) project, which was suspended by the previous government, will begin in the second half of this year.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said as such, the ministry has given Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) three months to update the studies that have been conducted previously on the implementation of the project, to be presented to the cabinet.

"In the recent cabinet meeting, the government has agreed to go ahead with the MRT3 Circle Line and MRT Corp was given three months to update the studies which include the cost of this project," he told reporters here today.

He said this after inspecting the operational availability of the first phase of the Putrajaya MRT line from Sri Damansara Sentral MRT Station to Kampung Batu MRT Station, Kuala Lumpur.

Also present were Deputy Finance Miniser I Datuk Abd Rahim Bakri and Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak.

Wee said the cost of the project would be decided based on the studies conducted by MRT Corp.

In 2018, the then Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the implementation of the MRT3 has been postponed, to reduce the burden of government debt.

On the Putrajaya MRT line, Wee said the project has reached 97 per cent in construction progress, and is expected to begin operations in August.

He said the remaining three per cent of the 17.5 km MRT line project only involved testing and commissioning of mechanical and electrical systems as well as trial operations.

Wee said the second phase of the project from Kampung Batu to Putrajaya which has recorded an overall progress of 87 per cent, is scheduled to start operations in Jan 2023.

The total construction cost of the Putrajaya line is RM30.53 billion.

-- BERNAMA