The secret behind the ECRL ‘discount’ which Daim did not tell us
Once again, Malaysians are being taken for a ride. Kononnya, Najib Tun Razak was paying too much for the ECRL and Daim managed to get it reduced by RM21.5 billion. Maknanya, Najib was either bodoh or crooked. But now we know that the RM21.5 billion is not really a discount because in return China is getting ten times more that amount in land and development rights.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tun Daim Zainuddin is trying to give us the impression that he has successfully negotiated with China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) to get the price of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) to be reduced to RM44 billion from RM65.5 billion, a savings of RM21.5 billion.
Of course, the new specifications for the ECRL is a ‘scaled-down’ version of the original design. It is like buying a cheaper version of a Proton that has no air-conditioning, no radio, no power windows, 1300cc engine instead of 1600cc, etc. — not that the power windows on Protons work anyway (you still need to open your door to pay the toll on the PLUS Highway even when you have power-windows).
More importantly than that is the fact that, for the RM21.5 billion ‘discount’, CCCC is being given a total of around 4,500 acres of land at seven different industrial parks near the stations where the ECRL will stop.
Is this not what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad referred to as “selling Malaysia to China”?
Originally, the State Economic Development Corporations (SEDCs) were supposed to establish these seven industrial parks around the stations to develop the area (that was the purpose of the ECRL in the first place). The ECRL would bring development to these industrial parks like what is happening with the high-speed rail in the UK (Manchester is now the fastest developing area in the UK).
What Manchester Baru is going to look like because of the HSR
But now China has been given the thousands of acres of land around these seven stations and the rights to develop the industrial parks. Actually, the so-called RM21.5 billion ‘discount’ is pittance compared to the massive land and the rights to develop these seven industrial parks.
Once again, Malaysians are being taken for a ride. Kononnya, Najib Tun Razak was paying too much for the ECRL and Daim managed to get it reduced by RM21.5 billion. Maknanya, Najib was either bodoh or crooked. But now we know that the RM21.5 billion is not really a discount because in return China is getting ten times more that amount in land and development rights.
Siapa lagi pandai? Melayu ke Cina?
