Loke announces Khazanah to restore KL Railway Station and KTMB HQ, hopes to see end of asset sale claims

The Malaysian government has initiated a preservation and restoration project for the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and KTMB headquarters to dispel rumors of their sale to foreign buyers, as confirmed by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

In partnership with Khazanah Nasional and the Railway Assets Corporation, this initiative aims to maintain the architectural integrity of these historic sites while revitalizing them as cultural landmarks.

Loke emphasized that these structures will remain government-owned, countering social media speculation about privatisation.

This effort aligns with national rail enhancements and aims to replicate Khazanah's successful rejuvenation model of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, ensuring these iconic landmarks remain functional and economically viable.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 12 — The government’s move to preserve and restore the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) headquarters should permanently quash claims that the national heritage assets are being sold to foreign buyers, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today.

Loke confirmed that the preservation partnership, spearheaded by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional and the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), will protect the architectural integrity of both iconic structures while transforming them into vibrant cultural landmarks for tourists and commuters alike.

“With this announcement, I hope to put an end to the allegations and slander claiming that the Transport Ministry intends to sell the KTMB building,” he told a press conference at the Transport Ministry headquarters here.

Loke dismissed persistent social media speculation alleging plans to privatise or offload the KTMB headquarters to a Chinese entity, saying that the century-old building remains entirely government-owned and carries immense historical and sentimental significance for Malaysians.

He explained that the project will mirror Khazanah’s successful urban regeneration and adaptive reuse model demonstrated in the ongoing revitalisation of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

The aim is to ensure these colonial-era transport hubs remain economically viable, functional, and culturally active, rather than falling into disrepair as static historical relics, Loke said.

Opened in 1910, the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is among the capital’s most photographed architectural landmarks.

Designed by colonial government architect Arthur Benison Hubback, the complex features a distinctive Indo-Saracenic aesthetic that fuses Mughal and Moorish architectural elements with classical Western arches and spires.

The station served as the primary passenger gateway into the federal capital for decades and remains fully operational today, handling daily commuter flows for KTM Komuter and Electric Train Service (ETS) networks.

The transport minister added that the preservation blueprint coincides with broader national rail enhancements, including track renewal works and station upgrades currently underway in Seremban.

In his Budget 2027 presentation on Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, the KTMB headquarters, and Menara Dayabumi have been slated as the next major downtown revitalization targets following the rejuvenation of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which has attracted half a million local and international visitors to date.

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马来西亚政府已启动吉隆坡火车站和马来西亚铁道公司总部大楼的保护和修复项目，以消除有关这两座建筑将被出售给外国买家的传言，交通部长陆兆福证实了这一点。

该计划与国库控股公司和铁路资产公司合作，旨在保持这些历史遗址的建筑完整性，同时将其振兴为文化地标。

陆兆福强调，这些设施仍将归政府所有，驳斥了社交媒体上关于私有化的猜测。

这项举措与国家铁路提升计划相一致，旨在复制 Khazanah 对苏丹阿卜杜勒·萨马德大厦成功改造的模式，确保这些标志性建筑保持功能性和经济可行性。

布城，10月12日讯——交通部长陆兆福今天表示，政府保护和修复吉隆坡火车站和马来亚铁路公司（KTMB）总部的举措应该能够彻底消除有关国家遗产被出售给外国买家的说法。

陆兆福证实，由主权财富基金国库控股和铁路资产公司（RAC）牵头的这项保护合作计划，将保护这两座标志性建筑的建筑完整性，同时将它们改造成充满活力的文化地标，供游客和通勤者参观。

“我希望通过这项声明，结束有关交通部打算出售马来西亚铁道公司大楼的指控和诽谤，”他在交通部总部举行的新闻发布会上说。

陆兆福驳斥了社交媒体上关于马来西亚政府计划将马来西亚铁道公司总部私有化或出售给中国实体的持续猜测，称这座百年建筑仍然完全属于政府所有，对马来西亚人具有巨大的历史和情感意义。

他解释说，该项目将效仿国库控股公司在吉隆坡市中心苏丹阿卜杜勒·萨马德大厦改造项目中所展现的成功的城市更新和适应性再利用模式。

陆兆福表示，其目的是确保这些殖民时代的交通枢纽在经济上可行、功能齐全且具有文化活力，而不是像静止的历史遗迹一样逐渐破败。

吉隆坡火车站于 1910 年启用，是首都吉隆坡最受摄影师青睐的建筑地标之一。

该建筑群由殖民政府建筑师亚瑟·贝尼森·哈巴克设计，具有独特的印度-撒拉逊美学风格，融合了莫卧儿和摩尔式建筑元素以及古典的西方拱门和尖顶。

几十年来，该车站一直是进入联邦首都的主要客运门户，如今仍然全面运营，处理着 KTM 通勤铁路和电动火车服务 (ETS) 网络的日常通勤客流。

交通部长补充说，这项保护蓝图与更广泛的国家铁路改进计划相一致，包括目前正在芙蓉进行的轨道更新工程和车站升级改造。

首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣在周五发表的 2027 年财政预算案中宣布，继苏丹阿都沙末大厦翻新后，吉隆坡火车站、马来西亚铁道公司总部和达雅布米大厦已被列为下一个主要的市中心振兴目标。苏丹阿都沙末大厦的翻新工程迄今已吸引了 50 万国内外游客。

陆兆福表示，可无限次骑乘KTM摩托车的MyKomuter50通行证有望在12月1日前推出。

苏丹易卜拉欣对阿卜杜拉二世访问马来西亚表示，他相信此行将加强马来西亚与约旦的关系。

吉隆坡国际机场快线（KLIA Ekspress）因人为破坏导致电缆断裂，目前已恢复部分服务。