PUTRAJAYA: Sixty per cent of the 1,475 tenants of the Railway Asset Corporation (RAC) are Bumiputeras, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook (pix).
He said RAC which is an agency under the Ministry of Transport (MOT) focuses on empowering Bumiputeras, and at the same time does not leave out the non-Bumiputeras, in an effort to bridge the economic gap.
“This takes into account the emphasis voiced by the government in the recent Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) 2024 which wants the economic distribution to be expanded by ensuring an increase in the bumiputera economy in line with the MADANI economic framework.
“In that regard, I sincerely hope that more private companies in the rail industry will come forward to help the government empower this sector in line with the ministry’s aspirations through the Road to Rail approach translated into the National Transport Policy 2030,“ he said at the Pay As Use Contract Handover Ceremony for Locomotives and Wagon Between RAC and SMH Rail Sdn Bhd, here today.
He said that through the contract signed on February 19, SMH Rail will repair 44 locomotives that have been grounded and refurbish 256 low-capacity RAC wagons with wagons that carry heavier loads.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Loke said the states bordering Thailand can appeal to allow tourist buses from neighbouring countries to enter Malaysia.
“I understand that our existing policy is not to allow tourist buses from Thailand to enter Malaysia, only private cars are allowed.
“If the state governments see that there is a need to look at the policy, they can write to us to allow tourist buses from Thailand,“ he said.
However, Loke said there are some technical issues that need to be addressed in terms of driver licensing and so on, and the matter needs to be studied more deeply before any policy is changed.
Earlier the media reported that Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Perlis will submit an appeal to MOT to allow tourist buses from the neighbouring countries to enter the respective states.
It is understood that there were claims that tourism agencies in neighbouring countries are facing regulatory problems under the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) related to the ban on foreign tourist buses. –Bernama
