Loke said this was because the project had been put on hold after the contractors took Putrajaya to court.

“So how can they ensure it would be completed by then after the contract was cancelled by the transport minister?,” he said referring to his successor Wee Ka Siong.

“It could take years (before the suit is settled). The project cannot move forward or the railway utilised,” he told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

The government had stated in the 12MP that the project would be completed in five years.

It has been reported that Dhaya Maju LTAT filed a lawsuit against the Perikatan Nasional government over its decision to cancel the contract.

The transport ministry’s decision to cancel the award of the project and reopen it for tender came after finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s claim that the PH government had awarded 101 projects through direct negotiation.

The Barisan Nasional government in 2017 had awarded the project to Dhaya Maju LTAT but the contract was cancelled after the PH government took over in 2018.

The PH administration then reappointed Dhaya Maju LTAT to continue the project after a reduction in its scope and costs.