People will reject proposal to scrap rail link — Zahid

KUALA KRAI: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the public will reject Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s promise to scrap the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project if the opposition coalition won the 14th general election (GE14).

“Of course the people in the East Coast states will reject his proposal. I personally want to thank him for that proposal.

“Of course Dr Mahathir made the right decision to reject the support of the people in the East Coast for his party,” he said sarcastically during a press conference after attending a meet-the-people session at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mengkebang here yesterday.

The Umno vice-president, who is also discharging the duties of the Umno deputy president, said the opposition’s proposal to scrap the ECRL would give an advantage to Barisan Nasional.

On Sunday, Dr Mahathir, who is also chairman of opposition pact Pakatan Harapan, was reported to have said he did not discount the possibility that the opposition would scrap the ECRL project if it won the GE14, claiming that it is wasteful.

On the Umno division head who was arrested at a karaoke lounge in Kuala Lumpur on Monday after he tested positive for drugs, Ahmad Zahid said the matter would be discussed by the party’s top leadership.

“Although we should not punish anyone before a decision is made by the court, but morally and politically-speaking, this is very sad and should not have happened,” he said.