PAC questions RM100mil for 1km rail link

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned why taxpayers have to fork out some RM100 million for the extension of the KLIA Express to link KL International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2 over a distance of only 1km.

KLIA Express is a Express Rail Link (ERL) system which currently links KL Sentral and Putrajaya Sentral.

"Even though the distance is only 1km but the construction cost footed by the government is RM100 million.

"Furthermore, passengers will still be charged for airport transfer between KLIA and KLIA2," PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed told a press conference this afternoon.

Nur Jazlan said the link should have been included as part of the KLIA2 project as it is within the same area.

 

"We want to know the rationale of (the government) in having to foot this construction cost," he said.

 

Nur Jazlan said the PAC learnt that passengers will be charged RM2 for using the link.

 

He noted passengers who use the full length of the ERL is already charged RM35 for one way and its operator can easily recoup its cost.

 

Nur Jazlan said this matter was also put to AirAsia's top leadership who testified before the PAC today. The PAC is investigating why the cost of KLIA2 had ballooned from RM2 billion to RM4 billion.

 

"We also wanted to know their opinion on this," he said.

 

'No corruption in KLIA2'

 

On a related matter, Nur Jazlan said, to date, the PAC has not found any element of corruption or abuse in the KLIA2 project as it was all done through open tender.

 

"However we question how can the project  still face so many problems despite being done through open tender," he said.

 

He added that there could still be leakages in the tender process and welcomed evidence of such.

 

Nur Jazlan said the PAC will also request the full list of consultants from Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) which owns KLIA2.

 

"There was an issue about the selection during the design process.

 

"The original need statement of how the design of the airport should be was changed because of a change in the selection of the final architect," he said.

 

Nur Jazlan added the PAC's current investigation is only is only to learn from past mistakes and not to take sides.