Guan Eng shocked over ECRL cancellation announcement, suggests Azmin uninformed of PM’s decision

(MMO) – Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng today expressed shock over Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s announcement hours earlier of the government’s alleged scrapping of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

Lim was reported to have initially said Azmin was not present in the latest Cabinet meeting, before suggesting that the latter may not have been informed of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s decision.

“Datuk Seri Azmin was not in the last Cabinet meeting.

“I am acting under the instruction of Tun (Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and the Cabinet,” Lim was quoted saying by local daily New Straits Times.

Lim also reportedly said a “statement will be issued next week, if necessary.”

But Lim went on to say that he “wouldn’t say that Azmin wasn’t in the cabinet meeting”, explaining that he meant that Azmin “wasn’t privy to the decision made by Tun”.

“Anyway a statement will be issued subject to the instruction by Tun,” he added.

When asked again if Azmin was present at the Cabinet meeting, Lim was quoted saying: “I don’t want to say that as it may lead to all kind of unhealthy perception.

“All I want to say is that maybe he was not informed of the prime minister’s intention.”

Local daily Sin Chew Daily had yesterday cited a source when saying that the Cabinet had in its Thursday meeting decided to cancel the ECRL project.

Earlier today, Azmin said the Cabinet had in the Thursday meeting decided to cancel the ECRL project after determining that the cost to develop the project was too high, and as the Malaysian government could not afford it now as the interest would come up to RM500 million.