PUTRAJAYA: Plans to revitalise the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) headquarters will put to rest claims that the Transport Ministry intends to sell the historic buildings.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said both heritage buildings would be conserved through a collaboration involving Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC).
He said the restoration would follow an approach similar to Khazanah's work on Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, which involved upgrading and revitalising the historic building.
"With this announcement, I hope to put an end to claims that the Transport Ministry intends to sell the KTMB building.
"Some have repeatedly claimed that I want to sell KTMB, including its headquarters, to other parties, including Chinese companies.
"This is not true. There have never been any plans to privatise or sell the KTMB building," he told a press conference here today.
Loke said the KTMB headquarters was a government-owned building with significant historical and nostalgic value.
He said the government, through Khazanah and RAC, had agreed to conserve and upgrade the buildings to enhance their status as iconic landmarks and boost tourism.
During the tabling of Budget 2027, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Khazanah would expand its conservation efforts to include three historic buildings: the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, the Dayabumi Complex and the KTMB headquarters.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
