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Transport and urban development in Southeast Asia. Dispatches from my travels in the region, and news about future city development, transport, and infrastructure.

News: 27 September 2023

Melaka Gateway and Little Dubai in the Strait of Malacca, Phnom Penh skytrain, Bali LRT, Phang Nga Airport goes ahead, and HCMC Metro delayed...again

James Clark

Sep 27, 2023

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City. I’m catching up on reports from my last trip, and this week is a double feature on Melaka.

The massive Melaka Gateway project has been given the go-ahead to restart, so I have a factsheet for that project. I also have a trip report for paid subscribers of my visit to the main projects in Melaka.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Melaka Gateway

Melaka Gateway is a new urban development of artificial islands in Melaka, Malaysia. The islands will comprise residential and commercial buildings, a theme park, cruise port, and deep-sea container port.

Dispatches from Southeast Asia

• Melaka trip report: Little Dubai in the Strait of Malacca

The controversial land reclamation area of Melaka Gateway, Malaysia's mania for ugly carpark podiums, a 9-tower project connected by a skybridge, a proposed 88-storey tower, and the Melaka Monorail.

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News

• China’s big belt and road plans for Southeast Asia hit a 10-year speed bump as ‘political side effects’ mount

• Japan builds on ASEAN’s infrastructure ambitions

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Skytrain Coming: PM pushes for skytrain in Phnom Penh to meet the growing populace

• Manet instructs provinces seek investors on their own

• Cambodia’s first largest Buddha focus of Bokor Park festivities

• AirAsia Cambodia to rejig country’s aviation industry soon

No official word on routes by AirAsia Cambodia, but so far it has been mentioned a domestic route from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville. The new Siem Reap airport opens in October, so there could be new international routes announced then.

• The shadowy Chinese firms that own chunks of Cambodia

• Battling discrimination as a female tuk tuk driver

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Govt talks of developing underground LRT in Bali

• Govt changes Rempang relocation plan to Tanjung Banon

“Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia canceled plans to relocate the people of Rempang Island, Batam, to Galang Island. He said this was in line with the people’s aspirations.”

• Indonesian consortium launches $1.3bn project at new capital site

• LRT Jabodebek adds more daily trips to meet growing demand

• Indonesia asks where the money is for green transition

🇱🇦 Laos

• Luang Prabang families displaced by Laos-China Railway project get relocated to new village

• China-Laos Railway adds extra EMU train to serve growing number of passengers

• Fuel company: Laos could face renewed fuel shortages

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• No injunction, so we went ahead with reclamation, says Chow

“The Penang chief minister said work on the Silicon Island project had begun after all approvals had been obtained by the state government.”

• Proposed study on logistics network via rail, air travels to Kalimantan under consideration

• ECRL project reached 52.9 pct completion

• 'I don't know how people do this every day': Malaysian tries commuting to Singapore from JB for work for a day

• Langkawi moots ‘LRT between Alor Setar and Kuah’, can it be done?

“LRT from Alor Setar to Kuah in Langkawi? Suhaimi Abdullah lands in social media hot soup.”

• Suvarnabhumi's SAT-1 terminal completes final trial run

• SRT wants B50bn for rail projects

”The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is to ask the cabinet to approve more than 50 billion baht to finance the building of the double-track railway section from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai and Red Line electric train extensions.”

• Land bridge project to attract investors

"The Transport Ministry plans to host roadshows in China, Europe and the United States to attract investors in a land bridge megaproject connecting Chumphon on the eastern coast along the Gulf of Thailand to Ranong along the Andaman Sea."