Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's decision to cancel the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project came as a surprise and the revelation that he did not consult the cabinet has raised concern.
Speaking to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity, a foreign diplomatic official told Malaysiakini that it would have been better if the decision had been communicated to the relevant stakeholders beforehand.
The manner in which the project was scrapped, he claimed, has led certain quarters to question if this could be a return of Mahathir's previous authoritarian style of administration.
“Everyone is a little worried. We hope this is just a one-off decision as opposed to being a trait of the new administration,” he added.
Apart from his ministers, Mahathir also did not communicate the decision to Singapore before he announced that the project would be cancelled during a press conference.
Malaysiakini learned that China and Japan, who are bidding for the HSR contract, were also in the dark.
On Monday, Singapore's Ministry of Transport said it had not received an official notice regarding the status of the project.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who admitted that the matter was not discussed in the cabinet, said the ministers would scrutinise the cancellation during their weekly meeting this morning.
Since Mahathir's announcement, none of the Pakatan Harapan ministers have objected to the unilateral decision, at least out in the open.
Asked for her comment yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the HSR project was not a current priority.
It is unclear if Mahathir's decision was based on the feedback obtained from the council of eminent persons regarding the HSR.
Like the ECRL, the HSR is considered by critics as one of the previous administration's non-viable mega projects, which would not generate an income for Malaysia.
Mahathir claimed that the government would need to fork out RM500 million in compensation for the cancellation of the HSR.
Former minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan, on the other hand, claimed that Malaysia would lose an estimated RM209 billion in gross national income (GNI) contribution and the potential to create 70,000 jobs as a result of the cancellation.
Both Mahathir and Abdul Rahman did not provide documents to substantiate their respective claims.
Meanwhile, a political observer, who declined to be named, said such decisions cannot be made by a single individual.
“There may be valid and sound reasons for the cancellation. But there is something called a collective decision. That is the reason why we have a cabinet. Furthermore, the Pakatan Harapan government has always emphasised on consensus.
“We cannot have the prime minister making the decision and the cabinet approving it. The government must also transparent by revealing the documents, facts and figures to substantiate its decision,” he added. -Mkini
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