PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must launch an investigation into the cancellation of the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR), especially after new revelations by Singapore, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.
According to Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, the main reason the deal fell through was Malaysia’s proposal to do away with the jointly-tendered asset company (AssetsCo), which he said was a “fundamental departure” from the deal originally signed in 2016.
In a statement, the Bagan MP said the MACC must look into why the government refused to abide by the international tender process, which Ong said would have ensured accountability to both countries.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economic Affairs) Mustapa Mohamed has said today that the original model for the HSR, that required tenders to be jointly conducted with Singapore, was too costly.
“No mention was made by Mustapa that Malaysia would pursue its own newer model that would still abide by international tender protocols. Mustapa mentioned that the method agreed by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in 2016 would increase the cost and the Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) proposed newer model would help reduce cost.
“No explanation was given on how the cost can be reduced,” Lim said.
“This is dishonest and self-contradictory for Mustapa. He appears to have forgotten he was also a Cabinet minister in the BN government then. Why is the estimated cost of the HSR of at least RM80 billion, excluding interest payments which comes to an additional tens of billions of ringgit, expensive now but not then?”
He said a probe would also allay public fears that the MACC was a political tool for the current PN-led government.- FMT