PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today clarified that studies are still being made on whether to defer the China-backed multi-billion ringgit East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project or  deal with it in some other way.

“At the moment they are studying whether to defer or to give it to another (party). But we have to also negotiate with them (China), if they agree (then) we can do it,” he said.

The prime minister was queried on news reports quoting him as saying during a recent visit to China that the government had decided to cancel the  ECRL project for now.

“What I said was if we can we would drop the project or we would defer it or we would find some other way of doing it without costing so much money,” he told reporters after attending a town hall meeting with Bersatu members.

ECRL, the RM81 billion-project spanning 688km linking Port Klang and Kota Baru, was launched last year and slated for completion in 2024.

Another China-backed project, the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) involving building a 662km gas pipeline from Kimanis to Sandakan and Tawau costing about RM4 billion has been suspended since July.

Queried on whether he had sought a loan from China during the August 17-21 official visit to the country, Dr Mahathir replied: “No, no… we have borrowed enough from China.”

He was also asked about some reports alleging that Malaysia might not get the yen loan that was sought during his visit to Japan in June.

“Who said that we’re not getting the yen loan. I mean you just don’t go to the prime minister and say please give me a yen loan and then he writes a cheque for me. It has to be done properly.

“Now our officers are working on the yen loan,” he said. – Bernama, August 24, 2018.