Revive HSR project instead, Guan Eng tells govt

23 Oct 2021

By Ilona Andrew

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said the government should revive the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) Project instead of suffering RM320 Million for the Trans Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSP) and Multi-Product Pipeline (MPP) projects.

He said, the government needs to come clean on the cause of this scandal of paying 88 per cent for only 13 per cent of unaudited work done, and the form of action taken against those responsible in the interests of transparency and accountability.

“Pakatan Harapan (PH) had proposed a better solution to be found through the cost savings of billions of ringgit from terminating these scandalous projects and be returned to Sabah and the states involved in the form of much-needed roads, water and infrastructure projects.

“The revival of these scandalous projects have turned the spotlight on Malaysia paying RM 320 million in the form of compensation paid to Singapore for aborting the project, the HR should have been continued to bring about economic benefits to states like Johor Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and the Klang Valley from closer ties with Singapore.

“Many question the wisdom of the government terminating the HSR project by stopping only in Johor Baru and not Singapore, as well as paying RM320 million loss in compensation cost despite its earlier public promise to continue with the HSR,” he said in a statement today.

According to Guan Eng, PH had not questioned the rationale for the HSR project but had wanted to relook at the exorbitant pricing and the cost structure agreed to by the previous Barisan Nasional government.

He stated that the HR project is not financially viable if its rail line does not pass through Singapore but stops in Johor Bahru.

“This is not feasible as it raises questions about the project's financial sustainability as well as limiting its positive economic impact to the country if the HR does not stop in Singapore.

“There is no doubt that Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan will be the greatest losers from the cancelled HR project.”

The government spearheaded by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has recently revived the scandalous RM9.4 billion Sabah pipeline projects, where 88 per cent or RM8.3 billion of the construction value was paid although only 13 per cent of work was done.