The decision to cancel services to rural areas prompted DAP MP Liew Chin Tong to question if the government is preparing Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTM) for privatisation.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, the Kluang MP said: "KTM seems to be prepped for privatiation by (tycoon) Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary and in this process, KTM has paid no regard to the people.”

"There may not be many passengers for these routes but rail service is essential for the communities in Johor and the east coast who have no means of leaving their areas unless they own cars or motorcycles," he added.

NONE Stressing that KTM has a social obligation, Liew (left) said the services should not be shut down on economic grounds.

The Syed Mokhtar-controlled MMC Corporation had last year submitted a proposal for the privatisation of KTM, which for years has had trouble turning a profit.

According to a written reply to Liew by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri, the cancellation of services include the express and shuttle trains on the northern, east coast and southern sectors.

"The services are cancelled because they cause severe losses due to a significant drop in passengers. KTM cannot sustain the high operating and maintenance costs for these services," she said.

She added that for the southern sector, three stations had already been closed for the same reasons, namely Chamek (closed in 2000), Nyior (closed in 2000) and Sedenak (1995).

"From July 1, trains will no longer be scheduled to stop at the Genuang, Tenang, Mengkibol and Batu Anam stations due to limited passengers, averaging about 1.5 people per station per day," she said.

Singapore-Johor MRT

Liew, whose constituency is famous for its rustic train station, however, said that KTM should trim the fat by cutting superfluous procurement and contracts instead of routes.

In response to another written reply from Nancy, the MP said it appears that the government has no "blueprint" for transportation mode and is glad to invest billions in another aspect of rail.

In the separate reply, Nancy said the estimated cost of the Gemas-Johor Bahru double tracking project is RM7.2 billion.

The government is also conducting a feasibility study on two rail projects in the south – a Johor Bahru-Singapore MRT project and high speed rail project.

The high speed rail project, however, covers the peninsular west cost stretch of 350km, with five stations and five terminus.

"There will be two services, namely express 90 minutes and transit 120 minutes," she said, adding that the train would travel at a speed of 250km per hour.