MUHYIDDIN Yassin says he is not aware of any cancellation of the China-backed East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, after two ministers earlier today gave conflicting statements about its fate.
Earlier today, Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali had said Putrajaya had cancelled the project. Following this, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng expressed shock at the announcement, adding Azmin may not have been updated on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s decision.
“I am acting under the instruction of Tun (Dr Mahathir) and the cabinet,” he said.
Muhyiddin, meanwhile, said he was unsure about the status of the project, but said the matter was best left to the ministers in charge of it.
The home minister also confirmed he had attended Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that Lim was referring to.
“Perhaps the prime minister or finance minister will be able to explain it in detail. But I am not involved with ECRL,” he reportedly said today after launching a book by Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
“To prevent any further confusion, I wish to reserve any comments. It is best that cabinet members avoid issuing contradicting statements,” Muhyiddin said.
In the midst of the confusion, former prime minister Najib Razak took to Facebook to mock PH.
“It’s true, they don’t have a WhatsApp group. But the telephone has been around since 1876,” Najib said in a post following Azmin and Guan Eng’s conflicting responses.
Rebutting this, Muhyiddin said the ministers did indeed have a WhatsApp group and communicated with each other.
“We do have (one),” he said.
Azmin had earlier annouced that the cabinet decided on Thursday to scrap the project, as RM500 million in interest would have had to be paid annually were it to continue.
The previous Barisan Nasional government had inked a procurement, construction and commissioning contract with China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC) to develop the RM81 billion railway line, which would have connected Port Klang in Selangor on the west coast of the peninsula to Kelantan’s Pengkalan Kubor on the east coast. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Lim Guan Eng shocked by Azmin’s announcement on status of ECRL
KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said he was shocked by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s announcement on the status of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.
He said Azmin may not have been updated on the decision made by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Speaking at a press conference here hours after the announcement, Lim initially said Azmin was not in the last Cabinet meeting.
“Datuk Seri Azmin was not in the last cabinet meeting.
“I am acting under the instruction of Tun (Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ) and the cabinet,” he said.
Asked if any decision had been made on the project, he said a “statement will be issued next week, if necessary.”
However, Lim then clarified on Azmin’s attendance at the cabinet meeting by saying:
“Sorry, I wouldn’t say that Azmin wasn’t in the cabinet meeting.
“What I meant is that he wasn’t privy to the decision made by Tun.
“Anyway a statement will be issued subject to the instruction by Tun.”
Asked to confirm whether Azmin had attended the cabinet meeting, Lim said:
“I don’t want to say that as it may lead to all kind of unhealthy perception.
“All I want to say is that maybe he was not informed of the prime minister’s intention.”
Lim’s statement came hours after Azmin announced that the government has decided to cancel the RM81 billion ECRL project with contractor China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC).
He said the decision was taken as the country could not afford the high interest linked to the project.
He said the cabinet decided to scrap the project during its meeting on Thursday.
“This is the final decision.
“It was decided that the cost to develop ECRL is too high, and we don’t have the financial capability to see it through at this moment.
“If this project is not cancelled, the interest that the government would have to pay reaches nearly half a billion ringgit,” he said. – NST
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / NST
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.