SHAH ALAM, Dec 10 — Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has not provided a new deadline for the Shah Alam LRT line (LRT3) launch, after the project was delayed due to technical issues identified during testing.
Prasarana president and group chief executive officer Amir Hamdan however confirmed that the line will not commence as scheduled this year to ensure passenger safety.
“It is certain and clear that the Shah Alam line will not be launched this year,” he said during a press conference on the project’s progress at the Shah Alam Stadium LRT station here today.
In a statement earlier today, Prasarana said the LRT3 would only kick off after repairs and technical improvements are completed, after various safety, operation and performance issues were found during testing and commissioning (T&C).
It said since the fault-free run (FFR) stage began on August 26, project contractor Setia Utama LRT3 Sdn Bhd (SULRT3) has identified 33 issues involving software errors and system disruptions, which need corrective action before the system can be considered ready for public operation.
Amir said Prasarana has taken necessary actions and implemented additional measures, as required under the contract, to ensure compliance and accountability throughout the project.
He added that it remains committed to provide regular updates to the public, as well as weekly updates to the Transport Ministry.
“We will continue to give periodic updates and will invite media partners for another briefing in mid-January 2026.”
SULRT3 project director Patrick Hwang said the issues were detected after extensive software testing required to ensure the system is stable and reliable.
He explained that while short-distance tests often show no issues, problems tend to surface after thousands of kilometres of continuous operation.
Hwang said longer trials, including the 4,000km “Golden Train” test, revealed occasional glitches such as inaccurate platform stops and door malfunctions — issues that can only be identified and resolved with prolonged testing.
He added that most issues have been rectified, with only a few still being addressed.
“It’s not a good idea to rush… Even non-safety issues such as doors failing to open could disrupt the passenger experience. We want to deliver a safe, reliable and stable system,” he said.
Hwang said the delay will not result in additional costs as the project is bound to a fixed contract.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the LRT3 was initially scheduled to begin operations on September 30, but the date was revised in late August. In November, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the LRT3 would start operating on December 31.
The 37km LRT3 line comprises 25 stations from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, with interchanges at Bandar Utama (Kajang MRT line) and Glenmarie (Kelana Jaya LRT line).
Once operational, the Shah Alam line is expected to serve more than two million residents in the Klang Valley.
