
The RM1.3b MEX II delay: A timeline of key events
2016: Work on the Maju Expressway Extension (MEX II) project, intended to connect Putrajaya to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, begins. A RM1.3 billion sukuk is issued to fund it, which is originally scheduled to be finished in October 2019.
Between 2016 and 2017: Alleged false claims of RM360 million are submitted during the early construction phase.
April 2019: A stop work order is issued on the construction of a key structure, "bridge 13".
December 2019: The project misses its original completion target due to cash flow issues and a stop work order on key structures.
Between 2020 and 2021: Delays worsen, sukuk payments are deferred and rating agencies downgrade the project's bonds.
April 2025: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission arrests four, including a 'Datuk Seri', over suspected false claims tied to sukuk funds on April 29.
May 2025: Government renews efforts to revive the stalled project, with key ministries and the developer seeking new funding.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Foreign labour pangs
Trafficking foreign workers into Malaysia is becoming a big business. Errant employers and corrupt officers in cahoots with multinational syndicates are profiting at the expense of foreign workers. Most, if not all, of these foreign workers are duped into coming here. On June 2, a record 279 foreigners — 240 Bangladeshis, 33 Pakistanis and six Indians — were turned back at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MBCA) for failing to meet immigration requirements. And here is the worry: according to the agency's acting director-general Datuk Sazali Mohamad, the case may be just the tip of the iceberg. So what we see is not what we get. Between June 2023 and May last year, 25,568 foreign workers were issued Not-To-Land Orders (NTLs), he told the New Straits Times. How many slipped through MBCA's net remains a mystery. Clearly, Malaysia wants to curb human trafficking, but issuing NTLs and adopting stricter border controls alone won't solve the problem. There is no denying that there are many factors behind the thriving illegal business. But the driving factor is the demand for cheap foreign labour by miscreant employers who work with syndicates at home and abroad. It is here that the authorities must begin. Blacklisting rogue employers would be a good start. Next is government-to-government collaboration between Malaysia and source countries, without which it would be impossible to root out trafficking of foreign workers. Neither Malaysia nor sending countries can deny that syndicates are at work in both places. Such collaboration must involve each taking responsibility to stamp out such syndicates, including weeding out corrupt enforcement officers. This must be followed by bilateral agreements. The Philippines-Malaysia memorandum of understanding for domestic workers offers a strong model, clearly outlining minimum wages and employer responsibilities. Our industry players must not outsource such responsibilities to third parties, a major flaw that contributes to foreign workers becoming undocumented workers in Malaysia. Equally important is to seriously think about our excessive dependence on foreign labour. For sure, demand for foreign workers isn't going to go away by decree. We have become too reliant on them to say that by this or that year we will reduce our intake. Here is why. The Human Resources Ministry last year said there were 2.3 million foreign workers in various sectors such as manufacturing (730,999), construction (646,508), services (394,739), plantation (263,151), agriculture (171,103), domestic work (100,675) and mining and quarrying (571), making up 14.6 per cent of Malaysia's total workforce. With this level of dependence, it isn't easy to reduce our reliance on foreign labour in a few years. Perhaps, what is needed is for policymakers and industry players to plan together for a phased reduction of foreign workers. To compel businesses to hurry with automation would meet with strong resistance. Because automation isn't cheap for many businesses in Malaysia. Large plantations, for example, can afford automation, but smallholders may need incentives such as tax relief. If we can shower such benefits on foreign investors, there isn't a reason why we can't do the same for local businesses.


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Polish president arrives in Malaysia for official visit
SEPANG: The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, arrived in Malaysia today for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation. The visit, his first to Malaysia since taking office in August 2015, comes at a significant moment, coinciding with Malaysia's ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship and Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025. The special aircraft carrying Duda, his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda and his delegation landed at the Bunga Raya Complex of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here at 8.21 pm. They were received by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Duda then inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. The Polish President will be accorded an official welcome at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya, tomorrow, followed by a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The two leaders are expected to deliberate on strengthening bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, the defence industry, agriculture, the halal sector and agri-commodities. Anwar will host an official luncheon at the Seri Perdana Complex in honour of Duda and his delegation. According to Wisma Putra, Duda is also scheduled to visit the Second Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps at Kem Sunggala, Port Dickson, and deliver a public lecture at the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya. The visit underscores the robust and friendly relations between Malaysia and Poland, which have been based on mutual respect and close cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971. In 2024, Poland ranked as Malaysia's 8th largest trading partner among European Union member states, with total bilateral trade rising by 19.5 per cent to RM5.66 billion compared to 2023. Malaysia's primary exports to Poland include electrical and electronic products, rubber products and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products and transport equipment.


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Polish President Andrzej Duda begins official 3-day Malaysia visit
SEPANG: The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, arrived in Malaysia today for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation. The visit, his first to Malaysia since taking office in August 2015, comes at a significant moment, coinciding with Malaysia's ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship and Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025. The special aircraft carrying Duda, his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda and his delegation landed at the Bunga Raya Complex of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here at 8.21 pm. They were received by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Duda then inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. The Polish President will be accorded an official welcome at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya, tomorrow, followed by a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The two leaders are expected to deliberate on strengthening bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, the defence industry, agriculture, the halal sector and agri-commodities. Anwar will host an official luncheon at the Seri Perdana Complex in honour of Duda and his delegation. According to Wisma Putra, Duda is also scheduled to visit the Second Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps at Kem Sunggala, Port Dickson, and deliver a public lecture at the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya. The visit underscores the robust and friendly relations between Malaysia and Poland, which have been based on mutual respect and close cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971. In 2024, Poland ranked as Malaysia's 8th largest trading partner among European Union member states, with total bilateral trade rising by 19.5 per cent to RM5.66 billion compared to 2023. Malaysia's primary exports to Poland include electrical and electronic products, rubber products and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products and transport equipment.