The government has cancelled the purchase of eight second-hand diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains worth RM64 million from Spain after stinging criticisms and pressure from various quarters.

pac meeting on rmaf engine missing 200110 azmi khalid Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Azmi Khalid told reporters today that Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) and the Transport Ministry cancelled the purchase in December.

Among others, Transport Ministry's acting secretary general Long See Wooi testified at the PAC hearing this morning.

Although the issue has become "academic", the watchdog is still pursuing with the probe to find out the rationale behind the decision to purchase and, now cancellation.  

The issue was raised in Parliament in November after Deputy Transport Minister Robert Lau informed the House that the government had purchased four trains for RM30 million.

This drew flak from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians, who asked why the money was being spent on old units instead of new ones.

Seri Gading BN MP Mohamad Aziz had also urged the watchdog to probe Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat on the purchase.  

Meanwhile, Azmi said two things were discussed, the rationale to purchase the DMU and the rationale to cancel the purchase.

"They (the Transport Ministry) was asked to provide written information but they couldn't give it to us today. PAC is investigating the decision-making process especially the decision to purchase and the decision to cancel," he added.

He explained that the ministry and KTMB have provided the "rationale" but he was not in the position to reveal the reasons behind the cancellation as yet .

There is an urgency for trains

When the issue first made headlines, former KTMB managing director Radzak Abdul Malek had written an open letter , revealing that the locomotives were bought under the government's stimulus package.

Radzak had argued that the purchase was necessary to overcome serious capacity issues involving KTM's komuter service.

"With funds available from the stimulus package, the Transport Ministry quickly proposed that the used DMUs be bought as a stop-gap measure.

"We bought used DMUs and not Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) because there were no used EMUs readily available anywhere in the world then," he had said.

Azmi also admitted that there is an "urgency" to cater to the demand of passengers because the current capacity is inadequate.

"That's why we have so many problems with regards to public transportation. Among the reasons is the constraints due to the inadequate supply of trains and wagons.

"If we want to order new ones, it would take two years (so) we have to scout for available ones immediately... the available ones are with the metre gauge.  

"In other countries they use more than one metre gauge so there are limited number of countries that use metre gauges," he added.

Transport Minister explains why

Asked whether new locomotives will be purchased in future, Azmi said: "I think they have made certain decisions and I will come back to this later because we have not concluded (our probe) yet".

"Right now KTM has decided not to go on with the purchase, KTM is convinced that they can do a lot of refurbishing and a lot of money needs to be allocated to refurbish old ones.

"They now have 26 komuter trains (Electric Multiple Units)... I don't know the number of DMUs but they also have hybrids that can use both,” he added.

According to Azmi, 32 units are inoperable as the trains are in various stages of repair and need to be refurbished.

In a related development,  Sin Chew Daily reports that the Transport Ministry cancelled the purchase of the diesal trains due to delays in delivery.

According to the daily's news alert, quoting minister Ong Tee Keat, electric trains would be bought in its place.