PUTRAJAYA will not issue any statement on the status of the East Coast Rail Link for the time being, said Lim Guan Eng today.

The finance minister said he met Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad this morning over the project.

“The prime minister advised me not to make any statement on the project for a while,” Lim said after launching a home ownership programme today.

An official statement will only be made after the government has decided on the actual status of the project.

Earlier today, Dr Mahathir said Malaysia was not out to frustrate China or renege on its contracts, but wanted to cut back on expenses it cannot afford.

“We are burdened by very heavy debts and have to cut back on some expenditures incurred by the previous government.

“It is not that we don’t want to honour our contracts, but we just cannot pay. This contract may cost us more than RM100 billion and will impoverish us.

“As such, we seek the understanding of the parties concerned.  

“We don’t want to frustrate or throw out a contract, but we are really tight in terms of finance,” he said to reporters after launching the National Anti-Corruption Plan in Putrajaya this morning.

Dr Mahathir, however, declined to confirm whether ECRL has been cancelled.

“The finance minister will give a clear explanation of what happened.

“Sometimes, ministers make announcements before they are due. I admit some mistakes were made and we will correct them,” he said. – January 29, 2019.