WISE Highway Secures RM5.55 Billion Financing After Years Of Delays
The 60.88km highway from Gopeng to Kuala Kangsar had been delayed since 2022 over financing issues, with land acquisition now under way.
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The West Ipoh Span Expressway (WISE) has secured RM5.55 billion in financing through a sukuk issuance and private finance initiative with land acquisition now underway, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said on Monday (Aug 24).
The 60.88km highway will connect Gopeng and Kuala Kangsar and is intended to ease congestion and reduce accidents along the Menora Tunnel stretch of the North-South Expressway.
The Menteri Besar said the project had previously been delayed because financing had not been secured, but that issue had now been resolved.
The Perak state government approved WISE in 2022.
A Highway Stuck In Limbo Since 2022
The Cabinet gave the project in-principle approval the following year and signed a concession agreement with developer East Coast Road Sdn Bhd (ECRSB) in September 2023.
But the project stalled soon after, and by November 2024, its estimated total cost had risen to RM6.2 billion from RM5.75 billion, while construction had yet to begin; the RM5.55 billion sukuk issuance represents debt financing, not the project’s total cost.
By September 2025, Perak state officials were telling the state assembly that construction would only begin “after 2026,” pending ECRSB meeting its financing conditions.
In February 2026, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the ministry was considering a six-month extension for the concessionaire, since its principal approval period was set to expire that September. He said ECRSB was still negotiating with financial institutions to firm up its capital.
WISE To Make Gopeng-Kuala Kangsar Stretch Safer
The 60.88km highway will run between Gopeng and Kuala Kangsar, bypassing the Menora Tunnel stretch of the North-South Expressway.
That stretch is known for heavy congestion and accidents, particularly during festive seasons.
In 2024, a tragic multi-vehicle collision on the stretch killed five students from Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah.
A commuter interviewed by Bernama in early 2025 said she was once stranded on the route for six hours after an accident near the tunnel, which made her late for work.
Officials have said WISE could cut congestion along that stretch by up to 40%.
Some members of the public have questioned the project’s tolls, design and broader transport priorities.
One reader questioned whether a new tolled highway could compete with the North-South Expressway, which the reader described as heavily subsidised. The reader also argued that operators might have little incentive to address congestion.
Another questioned why the highway was being designed with two lanes in each direction rather than three, arguing that adding lanes later could be more expensive.
A third said the funds would be better spent on rail infrastructure.
WISE is a privately financed project. The government has said it will not bear the construction costs, while tolls have been set at 23 sen per km for the 55-year concession, including a four-year construction period.
READ MORE: NPE 2 Extension Project Begins, Design Takes Barrier-less Toll System Into Account
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