WCE Holdings To Carefully Assess Southern Link Proposal Within Policy, Funding Framework

PETALING JAYA, Aug 24 (Bernama) --  WCE Holdings Bhd will carefully assess any formal proposal for the proposed Southern Link extension of the West Coast Expressway (WCE), taking into account the prevailing policy, funding and development framework.

Its chief executive officer Lyndon Alfred Felix said the company would study the details of any proposal and assess its overall merits and implications before determining its position.

“At this stage, we do not have enough information to conduct a full and detailed study.

"But once we have the details, and if we can conclude that the project is viable, then yes, I think a southern extension would definitely benefit the existing WCE because it would bring in more traffic," he told a press conference after the 25th WCE Holdings Annual General Meeting 2026, here today.

Lyndon also urged the government to provide adequate support to ensure the project can be realised, particularly amid rising construction costs and land acquisition challenges.

“From our estimation, construction costs have gone up quite significantly, while land acquisition has proven to be a major risk for us. Without adequate government support to address these issues, the risks (of this project) would be too high.

"We need to study it, assess the risks, look at construction costs and examine the land acquisition issues before we can come to a clear conclusion," he added.

On April 9, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government announced that the government plans to explore two major highway projects under a privatisation model — a proposed 303.5km southern link of the WCE from Banting, Selangor to Gelang Patah, Johor, and a 118.7km road linking Simpang Pelangai in Pahang to Putrajaya.

The ministry said the move is aimed at “optimising cost management and enhancing the country’s fiscal efficiency.

-- BERNAMA