The government finally confirmed the shelving of the controversial rail project. This action does not remove questions over government transparency and the traditionally corrupt linkages between business and politics.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration failed to identify the importance of transparency, and failed to provide any contingency plan to contain the double-tracking project and the deficit budget.

Will there be an international open tender if the government decides to resume the project? Or it will be another direct negotiation? Will there be investigations into irregularities in the RM42 billion price tag accepted by the former administration? What are we going to do with the unfinished Rawang-Ipoh Central Grid Projects?

Will he have a solution to the unpaid contractors who were forced to accept the 50 percent final settlement figure? Will there by remedies to mend the diplomatic and trade relationship with India and China for the sake of the crude palm oil market?

Is there going to be an action plan to probe into the budget deficit dilemma? Will we continue trimming the deficit by shelving other low priority mega projects such as Tioman's airport and the exorbitant Sukhoi warplane procurement?

Abdullah's administration has failed the first test in crisis management. The press statement was merely an action to sweep the rubbish under the carpet. Abdullah wants to prioritise development projects that would have more significant and direct impact in improving the quality of people's lives, but is Abdullah ready, willing and able to do it through a transparent and open tender?

Malaysian taxpayers expect more than a cabinet press statement; they have a constitutional right to obtain full disclosures over how their tax payment money are spent. It is time Abdullah's administration works out contingency action plans to review and investigate his predecessor's extravagant, high profile spending in highly visible but failed mega projects.