He noted that Prasarana Malaysia Berhad is currently finalising the technical and financial aspects of the additional contract agreement for the project.
The design scope for the five stations - Tropicana, Raja Muda, Temasya, Bukit Raja, and Bandar Botanik - is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, with physical construction starting in the fourth quarter of 2025 and taking approximately two years to complete.
"These five stations are targeted for construction completion by the fourth quarter of 2027, with operations projected to commence in Q2 2028," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, today.
He provided this update in response to a question from Captain Azahari Hasan (PN-Padang Rengas), who inquired about the latest status of the LRT3 station project, including its projected operational date and any additional cost implications compared with the original budget.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2024, announced that the government was to resume the proposed construction of the five LRT3 stations, which were cancelled earlier.
Hasbi said that the original cost of the LRT3 project, approved in 2015, was as much as RM31.65 billion, but the cost was reduced to RM16.63 billion in 2018, following the government's cost-saving measures through the reduction of the project scope.
He added that the additional RM5.3 billion allocated for the construction of the five stations brings the total cost of the LRT3 project to RM21.93 billion.
"When compared with the original cost, the latest expenditure still reflects a saving of RM9.72 billion. The Ministry of Finance is currently considering the funding sources for this reinstated scope," he said.
In response to Azahari's supplementary question, Hasbi assured that the LRT3 project has accounted for updated projections regarding daily user targets, particularly during peak hours, to better accommodate commuter needs.
-- BERNAMA
