Wanita MCA: In reality, Harapan made LRT3 more expensive

The projected cost of the downscaled LRT3 project by the Pakatan Harapan administration was more expensive and offered less than what was projected by the previous BN administration, said Wanita MCA vice-chairperson Ong Chong Swen.

In view of this, she said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng must explain why the BN administration was able to execute a plan for 26 stations with 42 six-coach trains for the project at the cost of RM9 billion, while the new administration now plans to have only 18 stations and 22 three-coach trains at an RM16.6 billion price tag. 

"Lim claimed that the government has saved RM15 billion by slashing the cost of LRT3 project. But in reality, the Pakatan's (estimated cost for the project) is higher by RM7.6 billion in compared to what BN offered," she said in a statement today. 

"This means that the Pakatan government has spent more but built less. Lim should explain the reasons as to how this situation became so."

The project was launched by then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in August 2016. In November 2015, Najib had told Parliament that the "fixed maximum" cost of the project was RM9 billion. 

However, project owner Prasarana had told Putrajaya in March this year that the cost was actually RM31.45 billion. Prasarana had sought federal government guarantees on an RM22 billion bond it planned to issue to fund the project.

Following this, the cabinet directed Prasarana to pare the LRT3 project costs down to RM16.63 billion with some compromises - one station would be removed from the plan while another five stations would be shelved for now. 

Meanwhile, Umno supreme council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan dismissed suggestions that the downscaled LRT3 project would help save public funds, as he claimed that retrofitting works would cost more eventually. 

"Come on, stripped-down version of LRT3 is not savings at all. It’s just a reduced-scale LRT. Many years later when the line needs to be upgraded to the original specifications and scale, the cost will surely be more than today.

"Medium-density areas today will become high-density in the near future," said Abdul Rahman in a series of tweets. 

In a related development, Umno Youth deputy chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan urged the federal government to make public detailed studies, if any, on the LRT3 and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail projects. 

He said that this was necessary in view of Harapan's promise to review "mega-projects". 

"In view that much has been said about these project, I am assuming that there has been some detailed studies. I urge (the government) to make it public to ensure transparency," he said in a statement today. 

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had vowed to scrap the HSR project on grounds that Malaysia could not afford it and the returns were low. However, Putrajaya has notofficially dropped the project.  - Mkini