Opposition's continued attacks on ECRL has hidden agenda - Rahman Dahlan

Pakatan Harapan's continued attacks on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) on frivolous reasons and ridiculous comparisons has a hidden agenda to scuttle the government's plans to balance the development of Malaysia to the east coast regions, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

Referring to the joint-statement yesterday by three Pakatan Members of Parliament namely Rafizi Ramli (PKR-Pandan); Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) and Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli (Amanah-Kuala Krai), Abdul Rahman said Pakatan Harapan leaders have continued to use any reason that they can think of to cast doubts on this project, whether the reasons are real or imagined.

"The three said I should not compare with overseas rail projects and said I should compare the cost of the ECRL which they allege will cost RM91.7 million per kilometre with the Ipoh-Padang Besar and 179km Gemas-Johor Bahru double-tracking projects which they said cost RM44 million and RM39.8 million per kilometre, respectively.

"This leads me to question what kind of desperation would lead three allegedly competent MPs to compare the cost of double-tracking projects with a greenfield rail project?" he said in a statement here, today.

He said the Ipoh-Padang Besar and Gemas-Johor Bahru double-tracking projects involves electrification and laying of parallel tracks to replace already existing single rail tracks along less challenging terrain that has less tunneling and bridges requirements.

He added that the ECRL is an entirely new green-field rail-link project that will cut through the challenging Titiwangsa mountain range and requires at least 110km of multiple bridges, 50km of multiple tunnels, entirely new stations, depots, signalling systems and supporting infrastructure.

Abdul Rahman said the ECRL will also have 88km of new lines that will connect the densely populated areas of Gombak with Port Klang that adds considerably to the cost.

"As I had said, all infrastructure projects cannot be compared directly. If we continue to go down this route then questions should also be asked as to the cost of other transport infrastructure projects undertaken by Pakatan Harapan governments.

"For example, the costs given in an answer to me by the DAP-led Penang government in June this year about their Penang Tunnel project confirmed that just the cost of feasibility and design reports alone for 20.3km of paired roads is RM10.3 million per km and RM13.2 million per km for the 7.2km tunnel - totaling RM305 million cost for reports which the Penang government had said is reasonable and within limits," he added.

During the tabling of Budget 2017, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the ECRL project would be carried out in phases involving routes from Port Klang, ITT Gombak, Bentong, Mentakab, Kuantan, Kemaman, Kerteh, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu and finally, Tumpat. -- BERNAMA