PUTRAJAYA, Dec 18 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has questioned the necessity of a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigation into the proposed 30-year electric train lease project, valued at RM10.7 billion.
He clarified the project is still conceptual and no contract has been finalised.
“I do not know what they want to investigate. The contract has not even been signed. It is nothing for them to investigate because it is still at the conceptual stage.
“It has not even been signed yet as I mentioned in Parliament many times,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing ceremony between Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd and China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd here today.
On December 12, the PAC announced plans to initiate proceedings on five new issues during the upcoming Dewan Rakyat session.
Its chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the issues include airport management, domestic investments by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and Kuala Lumpur Land Development.
On August 14, Loke said the government would adopt a new strategy for acquiring coaches for the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd network via leasing.
He said leasing would be implemented via a government-to-government mechanism between Malaysia and China to enhance the quality of public transport.
For Phase 1 from 2024 to 2027, this new strategy aims to add 62 new passenger train sets at an estimated cost of RM10.7 billion, to be paid in instalments over a 30-year lease period.
— Bernama
