‘ECRL NOT CANCELLED YET’
The project, along with other China projects, being studied, says PM
THE on-again, off-again East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has not been cancelled. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said ECRL, along with other China projects in Malaysia, were not scrapped.
He said these projects were being studied as to whether they would be dropped or deferred.
The study, he said, would include finding ways to carry out these projects without incurring too much cost.
“What I said was that we can drop, defer or find other ways which will not cost us a lot of money.”
He said the government was studying the available options, adding that it would “either defer or give the projects to another party. But we have to negotiate with them and if they agree, we can do it”.
Dr Mahathir was speaking after the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) townhall session with the party’s division leaders at the Sheraton Hotel here yesterday.
During a recent official visit to China, Dr Mahathir was reported as saying that the multibillion ECRL project and the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) projects were cancelled.
The prime minister said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang understood the reasons behind the cancellation of the two Chinese government-backed projects.
“I have explained to them and they understood the situation and accepted them,” Dr Mahathir told journalists at the end of his five-day trip to China.
On news reports if his recent visit to China was also to seek a loan as the loan from Japan was rejected, Dr Mahathir denied such claims, saying Malaysia had enough debts with China.
“No, I didn’t ask (for a loan). We have enough debts with China.”
He said with regards to the loan from Japan, officers were working on it.
“We can’t go to the Prime Minister’s Office and ask for a loan just like that.
“You should do it properly. Our officers are working on the yen loan.”