Govt to review mega projects, says economic affairs minister

KUALA LUMPUR (May 22): The new Pakatan Harapan government will review mega projects which have been approved by the previous Barisan Nasional administration, said newly-minted economic affairs minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali today.

“We will see if they are beneficial or otherwise, as we also have to consider the legal implications if the projects are halted,” Bernama reported him telling the media today.

“We want to revisit all mega projects approved by the previous administration and we will also want to renegotiate the terms, but if the projects have not been carried out, we will only focus on those which will have a direct impact on the people,” Mohamed Azmin Ali explained.

He added that the mega projects coming under scrutiny included the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail.

“We need to look at what happened and we want to make sure that the whole process is transparent and open. Let me sit down with the relevant authorities and agencies before we decide what to do next.

"We must be open and very transparent in procurement processes,” Mohamed Azmin said.

He also said that the country’s debt level was a major worry for the new administration, Bernama reported.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said back in April when he was still just opposition leader that he considered the ECRL as a waste of resources.

“If we think logically, who wants to spend 14 hours on a train from Kota Bharu, Kelantan to Port Klang, Selangor compared to approximately 30 minutes by flight?

“We will review the ECRL project, whether or not it is necessary. If it is not, then we will stop it where it has already been built,” Tun Mahathir said then.