Multi-lane mess
Also: a coal-fired power plant gone south and the HRD Corp scandal.
You’re reading a paid version of The Malaysianist, the newsletter on money and power, and sometimes on things that make Malaysia tick, by journalist and writer Emmanuel Samarathisa.
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Today’s brief covers the lobbying around Malaysia’s barrier-less toll project, Toyo Ventures’ misadventures in setting up a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam, and the Human Resources Development Corp scandal.
It’s a c-h-u-n-k-y one, so sit tight, grab a cuppa and let’s roll.Also, in case you missed Monday’s newsletter on some digital media moves featuring former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno info chief Shahril Hamdan👇🏽
Malaysia wants to move into a multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system for tolls. This is a barrier-less tech that enables smooth traffic flow where motorists are not required to slow down or stop as they whizz past toll booths.
The plan was in the works since 2021 but due to lobbying and squabbling among toll operators and a few private entities, the entire project has seen some delays, with Anwar’s government initiating “Plan B”, which is a request for proposal.
The project is estimated to be at RM3.46 billion with conglomerates YTL and Berjaya reportedly vying for the deal – a 20-year concession to build and operate the MLFF system across the country’s 33 highways.
There are also highway concessionaires led by PLUS, the largest of them all, who are pushing back.
Sources familiar with the matter tell me that if not for the lobbying, a proof-of-concept would have been deployed last month.