PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said discussions over the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) have been escalated to the intergovernmental level with China.
Lim said Putrajaya is negotiating directly with Beijing and discussions will be kept “away from public glare”, before advising the press against speculation.
He then added that further announcements on the project would only come from the prime minister.
“The Cabinet had discussed this and decided to adopt what the prime minister had said yesterday: that we are still undergoing negotiations,” he told reporters here.
“No other Cabinet members will be issuing any statement about the ECRL apart from the prime minister.”
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir confirmed that the government had not cancelled the Chinese-funded rail link project amid heightened speculation about its status.
The uncertainty followed a widely reported statement from Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali that the ECRL had been scrapped.
Dr Mahathir said yesterday more negotiations will take place soon, adding that “certain people” have been assigned to resolve the matter.
Lim said for now, Putrajaya intends to keep the talks hush-hush, citing sensitivity around the matter.
He refused to respond to news reports that ECRL developers, the China Communications Construction Company, are seeking an amicable solution and are willing to lower the costs.
Putrajaya had said it would consider keeping the project afloat if the costs can be reduced.
“I think better you wait for the official statement,” Lim said.
