PARLIAMENT | The government will not bear any extra cost for the MRT project despite the ringgit’s plummeting value on the currency market.

Instead, the cost (totalling RM600,000 so far) would be borne by the contractors responsible for the project, said Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak in a written reply.

“The first line of the MRT project would not have any cost increase to the government due to the ringgit depreciation.

“This is because the value of all contracts for the construction, including works on systems that involve foreign contractors, is denominated in ringgit.

“Those contracts have been finalised before the ringgit’s value depreciated,” he said in response to a question from Ahmad Fauzi Zahari (Umno-Setiawangsa).

The MRT project comprises three lines, the first of which stretches from Sungai Buloh to Kajang.

Najib said that as of Aug 31, the MRT’s first line is proceeding on schedule.

The first phase of the project - from Sungai Buloh to Semantan - is 70.21 percent completed, and is expected to commence operations on Dec 31, 2016.

The second phase - from Semantan to Kajang - is scheduled to start operations on July 31, 2017.