YOURSAY | It’s unheard of for foreign contractors to bring workers from their own countries.

ECRL to use China workers due to language, says gov't

Anonymous #21828131: One wonders what sort of industries are earmarked to enable the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) project to be maximised to its fullest to garner the returns for the RM55 billion loan, which would definitely bloat further in due course.

Downstream oil and gas industries? This sector is already saturated and based on recent moves, it appears highly unlikely to bring in much money.

There are a few downstream industries in Kertih. There is one giant plastic cling film manufacturer in Gebeng from the US but they too could not face the stiff competition.

Steel mills? There is an ailing mill which has been taken over by a Chinese manufacturer. This industry also appears to be saturated.

Seafood-related products? Keropok lekor to be exported worldwide? Or fresh sea catches like the Thais? Fishing in the east coast appears to be a sunset industry. What happened to our deep-sea fishing initiatives and investments?

Perhaps tourism? But who wants to travel there on a 160kph train for such a distance? AirAsia can cover it more efficiently.

Dairy industries? Our local experts have tried but switched to investing on condos instead. Maybe they will be given a second bite of the cherry.

Has anyone visited the current industrial sites in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang? I have, and going by what I saw, it would not be easy to garner the returns for this hefty investment.

Worried Sick: DPM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, now you know why Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants to review all the contracts with China?

Malaysians are really screwed. After the completion of the ECRL, they will say they need time to operate it until the locals can do so. For how long? God only knows.

Someonroutthere: Indeed, one wonders why Mahathir is so against some of these deals made with the Chinese companies which he considers not really foreign direct investments (FDIs).

The Chinese firms are using Chinese materials, Chinese labour and even Chinese money – money Malaysia borrows from Chinese banks which ends up helping their people with gainful employment, Chinese firms with exports of their building material, and Chinese banks for interest on loans. Tak masuk akal! (It doesn’t make sense).

Anonymous: What is the actual cost of ECRL? RM55 billion for now, but what is the guarantee the China contractor CCCC would not incur cost overruns? What if the cost is inflated up to RM100 billion?

Just why is the Malaysian government embarking on this project? Is it to enhance China military strategies in their quest to control the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea or is it for Malaysia’s benefit?

Benjawi: Can’t any Chinese Malaysian speak and write Mandarin? Of course, they can, especially those whose education was in that language at the vernacular schools. Why can’t they be employed as engineers and supervisors?

The menial workers can come from local people of any ethnic group since they only carry out orders. They need not know Mandarin.

It’s unheard of for foreign contractors to bring in their workers from their own countries. If that’s the way, how can a client country benefit from the project?

Do we have to create employment for other countries? This must be the most-rotten deal imaginable!

Tony Soprano: In Saudi Arabia, oil was first drilled on a large scale by an American company that partnered with the Saudis to become the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco, which today is wholly Saudi-owned).

British, French and American arms companies don't send hundreds of civilians to run every project in Saudi Arabia. What they do is send trainers - technical and English trainers. I was an English trainer for Saudi helicopter pilots.

China doesn't want to send trainers, it just wants to take over everything. That's why, for example, the US government has been blocking most Chinese attempts to buy out American tech firms.

As another reader astutely noted, why can't local Chinese do most of the work?

Odin Tajué: In actuality, China is showing you that they are the boss. In future, think thrice before you send your ill-bred, lowly-educated macaques in red outfits to march down to Petaling Street and threaten the Chinese there.

What is Arul Kanda getting in return for spreading 1MDB ‘fake news’?

Anonymous 2460391489930458: You'd think the passing of the Anti-Fake News (AFN) Bill is a stupid move by the government since given its inclination to tell lies most of the time it becomes easy prey of its own creation.

But the crafty Umno-BN government has also appointed judge, jury and executioner of what constitutes fake or truthful news. With that, Najib and his company of vipers are permanently vindicated since they are deemed to speak nothing but the truth.

This AFN bill is a perversion of truth of the highest degree.

Anonymous 568201438363345: Is the whole world spreading fake news about 1MDB?

This is because our country's version differs greatly from those reported around the world. Indeed, either the whole world is spreading fake news or our government is.

Spirit of Malaya: 1MDB president Arul Kanda forgot one very important point in this 1MDB saga - the alleged criminal breach of trust (CBT) involved US dollars which the Americans claim had been laundered through the US banking system.

Hence, Department of Justice (DOJ) must be in possession of the entire audit trail of the transactions. It’s going to be “checkmate” soon for Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) and gang - with or without Arul on board.

Turvy: At one time, the emperor had by his side the fool to remind him of his mortality and check his arrogance.

These days the fool sees his role as a storyteller. He weaves incredible stories to clothe the emperor with credibility.

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