MRT Circle Line

Proposal and cancellation

In August 2016, MRT Corp announced that it expected to submit the study on the MRT Line 3 to the government by the end of the year.^[2] This was followed by a statement on 6 September 2017 by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who indicated that plans were being drawn up to fast-track the construction of MRT 3 for completion before 2027.^[3] On 27 October 2017, during the announcement of Budget 2018, Prime Minister Najib Razak reiterated this intention by proposing that MRT 3 be completed before 2025. Subsequently, on 3 January 2018, former CEO of Rapid Rail, Dato' Ir. Zohari Sulaiman, was appointed as project director by MRT Corp to oversee the development.^[4] However, on 30 May 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced the cancellation of the MRT 3 project due to fiscal constraints.^[5][6] Two days later, on 1 June 2018, Dato' Sri Shahril Mokhtar, CEO of MRT Corp, stated that the decision was understandable given the financial situation, but emphasised the importance of completing MRT 3 in the future to "close all the loop".^[7]

Review and revival

Momentum was revived on 23 December 2019 when Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that a review of MRT 3 was under way.^[8] The project received Cabinet approval on 3 April 2021, with construction slated to begin in the second half of the year.^[9] On 13 April 2021, it was revealed that the line would feature around 30 stations and 10 interchanges, forming a circular alignment from Bukit Kiara to the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). The line would be built in five phases over ten years.^[10] On 6 August 2021, MRT Corp issued a letter to the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur regarding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Impact Assessment (SIA) studies to be conducted by ERE Consulting Group between June and December 2021.^[11] Later, on 24 September 2021, CEO Mohd Zarif Mohd Hashim stated at City Expo Malaysia (CEM) that the MRT Circle Line would connect all eight radial lines in Klang Valley and serve as the backbone of a more integrated transport network.^[12][13] On 4 March 2022, then Prime Minister Ismail Sabri confirmed the Cabinet's approval for the reimplementation of MRT 3.^[14] A media briefing on 15 March 2022 clarified that the project would consist of 51 km (31.7 mi) of track; 40 km (24.9 mi) elevated and 11 km (6.8 mi) underground, operating in a circular alignment with the first phase opening in 2028 and full completion by 2030.^[15]

In the 2023 Budget, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as Finance Minister, announced that the government would re-evaluate MRT 3's total expenditure with a target to reduce the cost below RM45 billion. Meanwhile, MRT Corp extended the bidding deadline for project tenders to the end of 2023.^[16] On 2 September 2024, MRT Corp commenced a three-month public inspection exercise that concluded on 2 December 2024. A dedicated microsite was launched detailing the line alignment and station features, supported by information kiosks in MRT stations and mobile info trucks along the corridor.^[17][18][19] On 17 July 2025, Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook approved the Final Railway Scheme, clearing the way for land acquisition to begin, with completion targeted for the end of 2026. MRT Corp announced that 93.3 percent of feedback received during the public inspection supported the project, and the number of land lots required had been reduced from 1,012 to 690, representing a 31 percent decrease.^{[20][21][22][23]}