Why weren't ECRL cost questions raised with BN, Dr M asks opposition
PARLIAMENT | Questions on the high cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) should have been raised when the previous BN-led administration entered the lopsided deal with China, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said...
PARLIAMENT | Questions on the high cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) should have been raised when the previous BN-led administration entered the lopsided deal with China, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
Mahathir told the Dewan Rakyat that it is "too late" now and the government is forced to renegotiate the RM81 billion deal signed with China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC).
"I am impressed with the wisdom of the party who raised the question.
"But my question is, why wasn't the question asked before, when the agreement was signed?" Mahathir said in response to opposition leader Ismail Sabri during Question Time this morning.
"Why were no questions asked about consultancy costs? The cost to acquire land? Now it is too late because the project is already underway," he said to Ismail's supplementary question on the total cost incurred by the government up to and after the project's suspension in July last year.
Mahathir went on to sarcastically thank Ismail over his concern about the cost involved and reiterated the government's ongoing efforts to renegotiate the deal.
Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PAS-Kubang Kerian) also stood up to question about the costs incurred so far and Mahathir once again emphasised that the Harapan government is saddled with the burden of scaling down the project.
The RM81 billion ECRL project was approved by the cabinet in October 2016.
The construction was to be handled by China Communication Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) while the financing was to be provided by Export-Import Bank of China (Exim Bank of China).
At the time, it was agreed that Malaysia would be able to secure part of the loan from Exim Bank of China on the condition that CCCC builds the railway.
The original proposal for a 688km rail link, if built, would connect Port Klang in Selangor with Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan and would be constructed in two phases.
