BN strategic comms man slams Pua's ERL 'zombienomics'

BN's strategic communication deputy director Eric See-To has slammed Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua's suggestion that the government should let the Express Rail Link (ERL) go bust by raising its fares.

Calling the proposal an example of Pakatan Harapan's "zombienomics", See-To said there would be adverse consequences should the ERL collapse financially.

"If ERL goes bust as what Pua implies then (stakeholders like) Tabung Haji will incur billions of ringgit in losses while banks will also have to write-off their loans.

"The government has to think of these implications too - implications that Pua does not think of when he frequently make statements like this," he said in a statement today.

The government on Wednesday announced that it would be extending ERL's concession by 30 years to compensate the company after its request to raise its fares were rejected three times.

In response, Pua (photo) said the government should just allow ERL to raise its fares, which he predicted would result in decreased ridership and financial collapse which would allow the government to take over the rail line which connects KL Sentral to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

See-To said the government would have to pay RM2.9 billion to ERL if the concession was not extended.

"The government may have decided that paying this amount now is not in the best interest of the people," he said.

He also said that the passenger service charge (PSC) ERL collected from KLIA commuters were an example of lopsided deals signed when Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.

This "legacy mistakes" he said, now had to be borne by the current government.

"Pua must ask Mahathir why he had agreed to such terms in the first place," he said.- Mkini