AS Putrajaya appears to ease an earlier stance against the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), locals in Bentong are hopeful that the railway project will proceed to help boost development in the sleepy town.

Bentong Chinese Traders’ Association chairman Yap Yoke Kim said the local property market will a big winner if the ECRL continues.

“Frankly speaking, when the ECRL came to Bentong, the economic benefit was negligible because the manpower and equipment were mostly imported from China and did not contribute to the local economy.

“But it had a drastic effect on local property prices,” Yap said.

When the ECRL works started two years ago, most of the accommodation facilities for the Chinese workers were not completed and the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) had to rent homes for its workers, he told The Malaysian Insight.

This led to rents nearly doubling, he said, with a double-storey terrace house jumping from RM2,000 a month to RM4,000 or more.

“After the workers’ accommodation were built, regular Chinese staff moved into the rentals but higher-ranking employees preferred to rent properties outside, so the properly market was still good.

“After the ECRL was put on hold, all Chinese nationals returned to China and the rental rates have all fallen back to their normal rates.”

Yap said if the Chinese-backed project is allowed to continue, the local Chinese will support it.

Bentong Small Traders’ Association secretary Gan Peng Hwa said when work began on the ECRL, hundreds of Chinese nationals frequented Bentong, bringing a huge increase in businesses for small traders, especially those working in the markets or in the food and beverages business.

“If the ECRL continues, we will support it, because mega-projects like this bring economic development to the locals,” Gan said.

Many Bentong folk have to drive back and forth to Kuala Lumpur for work daily, but once the ECRL is completed, they will enjoy a more convenient and safer mode of transportation, Gan said.

“Bentong is about an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. Once the ECRL is completed, the journey can be shortened to 35 minutes. Currently, property prices in Kuala Lumpur are high, this means people may also buy property in Bentong.”

Last week, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said negotiations with China on the ECRL are encouraging, amid news reports that Putrajaya is close to an agreement.

Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia is making progress in talks with China on the rail project inked under Barisan Nasional.

China is willing to reduce the US$20 billion (RM84 billion) price tag for the ECRL and talks are “in the last mile”, Saifuddin told Bloomberg.

Mechanic Wing Pong said the ECRL, once built, will likely benefit city folk from Kuala Lumpur more than locals and this will boost tourism and development in the town.

“We locals in Bentong, we don’t need to take the train to Kuala Lumpur. The drive to Kuala Lumpur is only about one hour, why bother driving to the train station to take the train? It is also inconvenient to travel around Kuala Lumpur without a car,” he said.

“We locals may not use it (ECRL) but those from Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan, and Terengganu may use it. They can take the train to Bentong for holiday, this will definitely help development here,” Wing said.

Roast meat seller Lau Yuan Meng, 44, told The Malaysian Insight that restaurants and food stalls owner suffered about a 20% to 30% drop in sales after the Chinese workers went home.

“When the ECRL was still on, many Chinese nationals came to central Bentong to eat, so those in the food and beverages business definitely saw some benefits,” he said.

Lau said he, along with many others, are hopeful that with the revival of the ECRL, economic development will return to the town. – March 2, 2019.