The ECRL Is Cancelled Because It Will Bring Development To The East Coast

But then Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are under the opposition. And if these states open up then Pakatan Harapan will never win them in GE15. Hence Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang need to be starved of development. And if they wish to see development they will need to vote for Pakatan Harapan in the next general election. That is why the ECRL has been cancelled. 

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The ECRL will bring development to Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, which is what Pakatan does not want

What is the real issue with the East Coast Rail Link or ECRL. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the issue is the cost — it will cost RM100 billion over 30 years, finance cost included.

Economic Minister Azmin Ali says the issue is the RM500 million interest cost a year.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says she is confused as to the reason because she was overseas when everyone made conflicting statements.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng says he has been instructed by the PM to keep his mouth shut and not say anything.

The new railway in the UK costs ten times more than the ECRL but is a necessary cost if they want the north to develop

UK is also building a high-speed railway from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. At RM1,200 million per km (versus RM79.9 million per km for the ECRL), and a total cost of RM560 billion, it is far more expensive than Malaysia’s ECRL, which is only 10% that price.

READ MORE HERE: HS2 ‘will be most expensive railway on Earth at £403m a mile’

By why is the UK spending so much money for this new high-speed railway? Simple, to bring development to the north. Currently, all the economic activities are in London and the south but once the railway is completed the north is going to see a boom.

In fact, Manchester is already seeing development and there are more residential and commercial properties being built in Manchester than in other parts of the UK. If you wish to invest in property in the UK then Manchester would be the place to come (London is overpriced and overrated) and the Chinese are pouring money into this city.

This is what Manchester is going to look like in future

So, railways turn sleepy towns (and Manchester used to be a sleepy town) into boom towns. And that was what happened when they built the railway in the US, the west opened up. But, of course, railways cost money. But then so do roads, schools and hospitals. But we still build them anyway because they are a necessary cost.

And that is why the Pakatan Harapan government does not want the ECRL. It is not because of the cost — because, of course, railways cost money anywhere in the world and the ECRL is still just 10% the cost of the UK railway. It is because once the ECRL is completed Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang will see an economic boom.

But then Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are under the opposition. And if these states open up then Pakatan Harapan will never win them in GE15. Hence Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang need to be starved of development. And if they wish to see development they will need to vote for Pakatan Harapan in the next general election. That is why the ECRL has been cancelled.

What Manchester currently looks like