PUTRAJAYA, April 22 — The Malaysia-Thailand rail link to continental Asia, including China, is important in terms of supply chain security and safety, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
He said the rail infrastructure is important from a regional perspective, with the aim of connecting Asean members through a more strategic network.
“When we can connect via rail between these countries … it is regional connectivity, and also important in terms of supply chain security because the world today is experiencing various uncertainties and disruptions,” he said.
He was speaking to the media after the Transport Ministry’s (MOT) monthly assembly and its Raikan Kasih Madani 2025 event here today.
Loke said Malaysia, located in the middle of the strategic route of the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, has the advantage of being a link between western and eastern countries.
He said the region should make full use of existing railways to improve connectivity.
“We hope that at the Asean level, there is a consensus so we can improve this connectivity. When we have improved this connectivity, of course other countries will also be interested, especially landlocked ones,” he said.
To realise the Pan-Asian Railway Network, Loke said Malaysia is committed to achieving a policy with Thailand that is more supportive of the development of the rail sector.
Loke said he would meet with Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit on May 2 to resolve several issues, including Malaysia’s rail cargo services being able to cross borders and become a major mode in the future.
He said, for example, among existing obstacles were certain restrictions on the movement of goods by rail between Malaysia and Thailand, where there were categories of goods that were not allowed to be transported by rail across borders.
“Things like this must be resolved so we can reduce these barriers to enhance trade in Asean.”
Loke said Malaysia is the host of the Asean summit next month and the main agenda is to steer the region in facing the current challenges.
“The most important challenge at this time is that the increase in tariffs by the United States has made the global economy increasingly tense.
“What is important for Asean is to ensure the availability or the level of competitiveness remains high and to ensure trade within Asean can be improved so that we can reduce trade dependence on only one market,” he said.
Loke added that MOT plays a major role in ensuring intra-Asean trade can be improved with the implementation of policy instruments so bureaucratic red tape and restrictions within Asean can be reduced.
He said cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand has been established through Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd and the State Railway of Thailand, but what is important is government-to-government cooperation.
The Pan-Asian Railway Network is also known as the Kunming-Singapore Railway Network, connecting the city of Kunming in China with Singapore, via several Southeast Asian countries.
It is a megaproject that connects Southeast Asia with China and then to the European continent.
Malaysia plays a key role in the Pan-Asian Railway Network, particularly through the East Coast Rail Link project, which connects the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.
— Bernama
