DESPITE its close proximity to the Klang Valley by road, Bentong folk believe having an East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) station will bring more benefits to their town.

Having the rail project stop at their town, famous in Pahang for durian orchards and eco-resorts, will bring development, they said.

It is also needed as the town’s old infrastructure and narrow roads can no longer accommodate more vehicles.

This is especially so during festive periods when the roads in the town centre are congested, they said.

It is with this in mind that Bentong folk are hoping that Putrajaya will relook its decision to scrap the ECRL station in their town.

Shafie Ismail, a 55-year-old local, said the ECRL is meaningless for Bentong folk now that the station had been scrapped.

“The ECRL was meant to accelerate growth in the east coast. I don’t understand what the ECRL has to do with Seremban. Why scrap the Bentong station and reroute the track to Seremban? Does this still mean ‘east coast’?’ he said, referring to the new alignment.

The renegotiated route, however, does not include a stop at Seremban but at Jelebu and Kuala Kelawang, which are also in the same state, Negri Sembilan.

Roast meat trader Low Guan Meng, 44, is similarly disappointed by the cancellation, saying a Bentong station would have brought more business and tourists to the town.

“When the ECRL was being planned, there were many China nationals who came to eat in Bentong and those in the food and beverage business were earning a tidy sum but after it was suspended, my business fell by 20% to 30%,” Low said.

Bentong is a small town with narrow roads that cannot accommodate many vehicles and the ECRL would have been able to bring more visitors to the area, Low said.

“Whenever it’s the holiday season, especially Hari Raya or Chinese New Year, there would be severe congestion in the town centre because we have narrow roads and we cannot fit many cars. So any further development to bring people to Bentong would have to be public transport.”

The cost of the renegotiated ECRL has been slashed from RM65.5 billion to RM44 billion for its Phase 1 and 2. It is also shorter by 40km nor will it have any underground tunnel.

The rail link will connect Port Klang to Kota Baru in Kelantan under five hours at a speed of 160kph for passenger trains. There will also be freight services.

The route has also been adjusted and will bypass Bentong for Mentakab in Pahang.

A mobile phone and accessories seller, who wanted to be known as Chan, however, said he did not think Bentong would lose out too much.

This is because the town was only an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur and most Bentong folk would choose to drive to the capital.

“Most of the local tourists who visit Bentong drive themselves here, and they’re usually only here for a day. Foreign tourists are unlikely to take public transport, too, as they usually arrive in tour buses,” Chan said.

But Samshudin Salleh, 38, said any development, even on a small scale, would help Bentong.

“Even though the station may not bring rapid development it will nevertheless bring some development, so it would have been better to keep the station,” he said.

Asked if he was disappointed with the decision, Suhaimi said: “Inshallah, perhaps the government will make another U-turn?”

He was referring to the recent Pakatan Harapan U-turns on:

* Withdrawing from ratifying the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court (ICC). Putrajaya rescinded its membership due to the confusion surrounding the issue.

* Malaysia reversed a pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination, following backlash from groups who fear it could dilute Malay privileges.

* The appointment of its politicians as trustee board members of the Federal Territories Foundation where its chairman is the Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

* The suspension of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan instalment scheme that was supposed to take effect on January 1.

* Retaining the death penalty for selected offences. Critics said Putrajaya’s announcement that it will only repeal the mandatory death penalty for 11 offences was a full turnaround from a cabinet decision made in October 2018 and a key election promise. – April 18, 2019.