‘GOVT COULD’VE SAVED BILLIONS ON ECRL’
Project would have cost less during Dr M’s time, says minister
THE government could have saved more than RM10 billion if the East Coast Rail Link Project (ECRL) was carried out by the previous administration, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan yesterday.
Rahman said the project would have cost less than RM30 billion during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure as prime minister, according to consultants at the time.
The ECRL project, stretching over 688km from Gombak in Selangor to Tumpat in Kelantan, is expected to cost RM55 billion today.
Rahman, who is Kota Belud member of parliament, said despite the steeper price tag, the current administration decided to carry out the ECRL to help east coast states achieve greater economic growth.
“We have a prime minister who has the vision to provide balanced development between the west and east coasts, as well as in Sabah and Sarawak.
“No other prime minister has committed so much money to infrastructure, which is a critical investment for the country’s future development,” Rahman said after receiving flood relief equipment from the National Disaster Management Agency here yesterday.
Rahman’s statement comes in the wake of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin’s question whether the ECRL project was a form of investment in the country or a loan.
Rahman, who is also Barisan Nasional strategic communications director, said there was nothing wrong with providing more economic opportunities to Malaysians.
“Billions of ringgit are allocated for mega infrastructure (projects). They are meant for the people in Sabah, Sarawak and in the east coast, not for himself (the prime minister).
“The people deserve better economic opportunities and he is willing to do that.”
Rahman said the people could judge for themselves which administration provided a levelplaying field for Malaysians to prosper economically.
“You can make your own conclusions whether Dr Mahathir, during his 22-year administration, did justice to the people in Sabah, Sarawak and the east coast.”
Rahman said the government had made it clear that the ECRL project was a domestic investment funded with a soft loan from China with favourable rates that were lower than the government’s cost of funds.
“I have explained the issues of investments and loans so many times, even in Parliament.”