PRESS RELEASE: MALAYSIA’S NEW LAND BRIDGE IS ADDING BILLIONS TO GDP, TRANSFORMING THE PROPERTY MARKET, AND PROTECTING MALAYSIA FROM A HORMUZ MOMENT: EXPERT
Kuala Lumpur, 13 May 2026— The year 2026 is critical for Malaysia’s project to build a so-called land bridge connecting the east, west, north, and south of Peninsular Malaysia because key elements of the national project are coming on line.
That is already driving GDP growth, transforming the property market, saving lives from reduced road fatalities, and helping protect Malaysia from a Hormuz moment in a time of geopolitical risk, according to new insights released today by Irhamy Ahmad MRICS, Chartered Valuation Surveyor and CEO and Founder of Irhamy Valuers International, a part of Juwai IQI.
All Aboard: Malaysia’s Rail-Powered Trade Corridor
“This is the most critical year in Malaysia’s project to build a rail-linked corridor from north to south, and east to west,” Mr Ahmad said. “This year the Perlis Inland Port (PIP) ramped up to full operations. This year, also, will witness the completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
“These projects connect to Port Klang and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas to form what you might call a land bridge that crisscross Peninsular Malaysia. By shifting more freight to rail, it reduces the number of heavy lorries on the roads, stimulates property market growth in key locations, and gives us other entry points for trade than the Strait of Malacca.
“The new inland port and rail connection will create a boom in Malaysia’s freight and logistics market. Analysts expect the market to grow to RM156.83 billion (USD 40.11 billion) by 2031, up more than one-third from its 2025 level. The ECRL alone is expected to contribute a 3.8% increase 1 to Malaysia’s GDP by 2047, equivalent to some 17.3 billion ringgit per year.2
“There are other benefits. For example, the East Coast Rail Link will save an estimated 73 lives per year. It will remove 30% of freight from the roads and reduce lorry accidents proportionately.3 Research shows lorry accidents kill approximately 242 people per year.
1.00 USD = 3.91008056 MYR: https://www.xe.com/. Accessed 7 May 2026. 1
.038*455100000000 = 17,293,800,000; https://www.dosm.gov.my/uploads/release-content/ 2 file_20260210153847.pdf ; https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/08/ecrl anticipated-to-contribute-38pc-increase-to-malaysias-gdp-by-2047-says-tengku-zafrul/122269
Total of 1,457 deaths linked to lorry accidents over 6 years, or 242 per year. 30% fewer lorries 3 means 30% fewer deaths, or 73. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/05/18/one death-every-36-hours-in-malaysia-from-lorry-crashes-with-speeding-and-poor-maintenance-key causes-study-shows/177172
“The land bridge will also help Malaysia meet its environmental targets. The ECRL will slash greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million tonnes per year, since trains are much more efficient than trucks.
“Abbas Bilgrami, the Group Strategy Head of Mutiara Perlis, the public private partnership that brought the Perlis Inland Port to fruition told me that project is also creating giant environmental benefits,” said Mr Ahmad.
“Abbas told me that shifting from truck to rail just 20% of the cargo moved between Southern Thailand and Penang would reduce 1.2 million tonnes of green house gases.”4
Faster Travel Times to Create New Property Demand
Mr Ahmad continued, “While the Perlis Inland Port will stimulate nearby property demand, the East Coast Rail Link will drive property development and price growth across much of the East Coast. It will reduce travel times dramatically for 13.7 million tonnes of freight and 5.6 million passengers once it’s fully operational.5
“Currently, a trip from one end of the line to the other takes six or seven hours by road or requires a flight. The ECRL will slash this to approximately 4 hours by train for passengers, who will zip along at 160 kilometers per hour. Traveling from Kuala Terengganu to Gombak will take less than two hours.
“That will bring industrial areas and tourist destinations that were once hard to reach to within the reach of an easy trip. Towns along the route like Mentakab, Gemas, Bentong, and Kuantan are already attracting logistics parks and light industrial development near the new stations. We expect land near ECRL stations in Bentong, Kuantan, Kemaman, and Kota Bharu to appreciate 30-50% by 2031.6
“Further north, the impact of the new inland port on Perlis deserves more study. The RM1.5 billion of government and private investment are expected to add RM2.8 billion to Perlis’ economy, create 7 12,000 jobs, and expand trade with Thailand by about 50%.8
4 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7453420027934056448/? dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287453435904691679234%2Curn%3Ali%3 Aactivity%3A7453420027934056448%29
https://www.boom-malaysia.com/ecrl-malaysia-route-stations-and-progress/ 5 https://iqiglobal.com/blog/malaysia-2026-roadmap-for-economic-and-property-stability/ 6
https://www.mkn.gov.my/web/ms/2022/03/16/perlis-inland-port-pip-bakal-ubah-landskap- 7 ekonomi-perlis/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/perlis-inland-port-pip-malaysias-northern-logistics-waqar-cmilt- 8 rjevc/ ; https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2255583
“Yet the Perlis property market has not yet priced this growth in. Average prices remain the lowest in Peninsular Malaysia. This is an opportunity for early-mover investors. Perlis industrial property still transacts at a significant discount to other markets.”
Expect an East Coast Tourism Property Boom
“I don’t think many investors have realised how the rail link is likely transform the tourism market on the East Coast and drive up the value of beach and related property,” Mr Ahmad said. “The train will transform beach destinations by bringing them into easy reach for weekend trips from the Klang Valley.
“The ECRL passes through or near the beautiful beach destinations of Cherating; Kuala Terengganu, which is the gateway to Redang and Lang Tengah: and Kota Bharu, which is the gateway to the Perhentian Islands.9
“Expect new hotels and resorts, new short-term stay rental properties, and new second home developments for Klang Valley residents. All of this will help tourism add some RM8 billion to the economy by 2030,10
“Developers are already explicitly mentioning the ECRL as a value creator for projects like Timur Bay Seafront Residence in Kuantan. As a valuation professional, I must also offer a word of 11 caution. Infrastructure-led property investment is always subject to timing risk. My advice is to focus on locations w@gemhere markets are already strong and the ECRL can further accelerate them.”
Mr Ahmad concluded, “In sum, Malaysia’s new land bridge, tying together its ports and rail lines with new infrastructure and increasing its trade northwards to Thailand and China, is proving to be a far sighted infrastructure investment. It is adding billions to the GDP, creating tens of thousands of jobs, transforming the property market, and helping protect Malaysia from a Hormuz-style crisis.”
-END-
Stay updated at all time for free. Sign up for daily investment news updates (FREE since Nov 2013 and FOREVER).
Alternatively, Follow me on Telegram here.
Please LIKE kopiandproperty.com FB page to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles.
Else, follow me on Twitter here.
Discover more from kopiandproperty.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
