Najib defends HSR, tells Dr Mahathir not to make emotional decision

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 30 May 2018 8:35PM · 6 Comments

Former prime minister disputes the Mahathir administration RM110 billion price tag for the high-speed rail project. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, May 30, 2018.

NAJIB Razak tonight defended the high-speed rail (HSR) project, asking the Mahathir government to explain its RM110 billion price tag and not to make an emotional decision to scrap it.

The defeated prime minister said the Kuala Lumpur-to-Singapore railway project should be considered for its multiplier effect and catalyst role, saying the economy could dive because of the cancellation.

“Times have changed and the economy is more sophisticated than before and it is disappointing that the prime minister has failed to see its return of investment as an economic catalyst rather than just ticket sales,” Najib said in a Facebook post tonight.

Najib said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad should justify how the Pakatan Harapan government had arrived at the RM110 billion figure for the project compared with the RM72 billion the previous BN administration had estimated the project would cost.

“Was this figure politically inflated, as was the RM1 trillion ‘national debt’ figure?” Najib asked.

The former prime minister said the project could have generated RM650 billion in gross national income (GNI) by 2069 if implemented.

He said it could also have created half a million jobs.

“Estimates in the report that I have seen showed that the economic benefits are up to RM650 billion in GNI until 2069.

“Meanwhile, there will be 110,000 job opportunities, which had been expected to grow to 442,000 jobs by 2069,” the Pekan MP said in his post. – May 30, 2018.

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Comments

  • Can we get this bloody F@#$ face out of our viewing. A scum bag that deserve a public hanging on the tallest lamp post . An audacious remark without any substance.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Their projections says that there will be 22 million passengers by 2036 when air passenger between Singapore and KL in 2017 is only 4million. He think he is building the facebook, google and Alibaba of rail project? Might as well wait ten years, ELON MUSK will have perfected the Hyperloop and build the Hyperloop instead.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Ex-PM Najib is entitled to his say, for us to be able to evaluate all the info, even tho' it might just be an academic exercise in the end. Let us not grow to be arrogant ourselves! ..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • Hooray and up she rises (x) 3, early in the morning! (nursery rhyme from yesteryear?)..

      Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • For comparison, the Taipei-Kaohsiung HSR was scheduled to be completed in 10 years but it was only commission in 16 years, the delay was mainly due to signaling issues. It is now in its 12th year of operation, and it has yet to make profit, despite high ticket prices, because if was not able to achieve the targeted passenger trips. The Taiwanese government had to inject funds into this company, if not mistaken, twice, to keep it afloat. Two years ago, the company went public because it was about to go bankrupts if it could not raise fund, and still it has not made any profit. Perhaps the PH government made the right decision. If one were to read the news report, the one who stands to gain the most is Singapore as it will create a new business district with the HSR station. Yet Singapore only need to build 15 km and Malaysia have to build 350 km, go do the maths who benefits the most from this HSR.

    Posted 5 years ago by Malaysia Forward · Reply

    • I have travelled may times on the HSR from Taipei to Kaoshiung and on different days of the week and it is never at all filled up to even 50% thru out the way in different stops. The fares are expansive almost to RM350. As for our idiotic Najib I am pretty sure there was no feasibility studies done or a research on time vs commuters needs specification vs distance to justify the entire project plan. His utmost motives for introducing such non viable project is suspiciously fraudulence. This guy needs to be hauled up and punished severly to deter future wanabees. He is never enough in his waywardess of plundering.

      Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply