Bringing friends & businesses closer through the Pan-Asian Railway

By Amirul Mohd Sajadi

When you make friends around the world, using a train instead of a plane to meet up would make life easier and perhaps be the smartest thing financially, too.

While attending a journalism programme in China in 2019, I met a kindred spirit named Keutkhuanchai Malychansy aka Phong from Laos.

We are like brothers who share the same interests and feelings about our countries and their natural beauty (like the rainforest) and rich heritage (like the Buddhist temples).

Imagine how great it would be to travel more efficiently to see each other? The Pan-Asian Railway Network (PARN) which will link 8 countries from China to Singapore holds promise of this.

A SYMBOL OF HOPE

When ready, the project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI or OBOR) aims to enable the seamless travel of passengers and cargo through routes starting in Kunming, China to ASEAN members in the south -- of course, Laos, too.

The BRI launched by Chinese President, Xi Jinping, in 2013 includes the 665km East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project which is progressing smoothly. 

The high-speed rail (HSR) line from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore would help promote economic growth as well.

Through these developments, trains, and not just an Internet connection, would bring the world closer.
 
IT COULD DRIVE AN ASEAN BOOM

One Belt One Road Chamber of Commerce (OBORCC) president, Datuk Seri Tan Thian Lai, told Bernama the PARN will not just attract more tourists, but will become a major mode of transport for international trade. 

"With the ECRL connecting Malaysia's east and west coasts, and directly to Thailand and Singapore, the network acts as a 'land bridge' that not just conveys passengers but also plays a big role in transporting cargo from China to Southeast Asia," he said.

The ECRL project costing over RM50bil, which kicked off in 2018 and should be finished by end-2026, is expected to shorten travel time between Kota Bharu, Kelantan and Gombak, Selangor to four hours versus 12 hours plus by road during the festive season.
 
Tan said PARN also brings recognition for ASEAN which plays an important role in global trade routes. 

"With its existence, every ASEAN member has equal opportunity to develop domestic markets and ecotourism, as well as introduce local products into international trade," he said.

MALAYSIA CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ASEAN'S STRENGTH

Geostrategist & Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research (NASR) senior fellow, Prof Dr Azmi Hassan, said Malaysia as the 2025 ASEAN chairman can focus on strengthening cooperation in the region through PARN.

"This rail project is one of the main initiatives that can develop the region into a strong economic power, competing with major powers such as the US and Europe. 

"With the presence of ASEAN members in BRICS, PARN can be the basis for stability and sustainable economic growth," he said.

ASEAN members share a bond of eternal friendship & commitment to harmony, just like I and Phong who feel PARN could bolster our brotherhood and bright future.

-- BERNAMA