YOURSAY | Is the high-speed rail worth building?

YOURSAY | ‘Having everything above board seems to be alien to the govt.’

M'sia does not need S'pore for HSR project - Muhyiddin

OCT: Malaysia has good resources but bad managers, whereas Singapore has little resources but good managers. This is the main difference between both countries.

A team of good managers can propel the country forward as meritocracy matters most, while a team of bad managers will ruin the country with corruption, cronyism, discrimination and lack of skills.

Under AssetCo, a joint management team from both Malaysia and Singapore, cronies may not get the contract. Only the best tender will win the contract.

Malaysia is not used to transparency. There won't be any contracts awarded via direct negotiation where a crony is selected to be the project delivery partner. Everything is above board, which is alien to the Malaysian government.

For example, Digital Nasional Berhad’s (DNB) 5G project is also a monopolised business. Prices are determined by the sole provider. Quality of service is never assured.

The rakyat has seen many GLC (government-linked company) projects by the government where the management team has no accountability. The CEO is paid millions without any deliverables or KPIs defined. To them, profit and services are not important but they must know how to bootlick the right minister.

If the DNB ever morphed into another 1MDB, the rakyat can be assured no one will be charged as those responsible will plead ignorance and that no money was lost.

Iphonezours: Muhyiddin, what do you mean by “Malaysia’s sovereignty will be compromised” by the jointly (Malaysia and Singapore) appointed Asset Co, which has control over tenders and operations?

I guess Malaysia’s sovereignty to carry out non-transparent awards, negotiated contracts and direct appointments were scuttled by this jointly-appointed Asset Co, which is common among local projects.

OrangePanther1466: Muhyiddin, it's very rare that I would agree with you and in this case, on both counts.

I have always maintained that a HSR to Singapore is more beneficial to them than Malaysia. Furthermore, why can't we extend the electric double tracking (EDT) all away to the city-state?

Most of the infrastructure is already there so the cost would be a fraction of a new HSR. So, what if it takes an extra hour to arrive in Singapore? It’s still more convenient than taking a flight.

In addition, the EDT can make some stops at major centres to serve passengers. If Ipoh and Penang can be served by the EDT, I don't see why KL-Singapore can't be similarly served. KL to Penang is even further than KL to Singapore.

Yes, the KL-Singapore corridor is one of the busiest but has anyone checked the purpose of the travels? What percentage of it comprise professionals who chose to live in Singapore while commuting to KL for business?

Similarly, how many entrepreneurs choose to live in Singapore with a base/factory/depot in the northern part of Malaysia? How many Malaysians living in and around KL go to Singapore frequently for business or pleasure?

I submit, the greater the convenience of travel between the two cities, the more compelling Singapore will become for expatriates to live there.

On the matter of DNB, I support the move to have a single wholesale provider controlled by an independent party and servicing all the telcos equally. This will ensure wider and faster coverage of the service and, most importantly, avoid duplication of resources.

At present, there are still many pockets of poor service as telcos are not willing to invest in regions of marginal yield. That makes sense as they are profit-oriented.

On the other hand, DNB has the flexibility to provide "national service" by rolling out in rural areas which a typical telco may bypass. The government could pay for the capital expenditure cost separately and thus not added to the tariff DNB will charge the telcos for this.

Many have raised concerns about this being another 1MDB. That argument is a long stretch given the circumstances are different.

The award of the capital expenditure contract to Ericsson and future operating expenditure, etc, are all matters of governance and nothing concerning the concept of a single service provider. A good governance structure with checks and balances will help allay concerns.

I would advise the government to follow Muhyiddin’s advice.

Siva1967: This statement by Muhyiddin clearly shows he has no vision as a leader. With the HSR going deep into Singapore, the potential in tapping Singapore's economic and geographical position can be capitalised. Furthermore, the tourist dollar from Singapore can also spill over to Malaysia.

Businesses who wish to capture the lower cost of business in Malaysia may opt to travel by this mode to avoid cumbersome flights.

With the HSR operating, the once-thriving tourism industry in Malacca will now increase since Singaporeans do not need to go through the congested Causeway, thus bringing more tourist dollars to Malacca.

So Muhyiddin, your reasoning is invalid. Your Malay-first and Malaysian-second mentality is really glaring.

Fair Comments: Yes, eventually the HSR may be connected to Thailand and beyond. But Muhyiddin ought to take cognition of the cash flow for the survival of the HSR project.

We cannot deny that Singapore is a very important terminal as it will determine whether the project is financially viable or not. This is because high passenger traffic is almost assured with Singapore in and it provides lots of cash inflow to make the project financially viable.

The same can't be said for Thailand and beyond. How many more years do we have to wait before that can happen and how much the country has to pump in to keeping the project alive while waiting for Thailand to decide?

As for DNB, we hope that they can be more transparent as there are serious allegations of corrupt practices in awarding the project to Ericsson. If there is nothing to hide, let the government put all the cards on the table so that the rakyat can see for themselves and are convinced that everything is above board.

The Analyser: Are our politicians aware that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, with possibly worse to come? The economy is shot to pieces and a good proportion will never recover. Unemployment is through the roof and it will stay there for some time.

And here you are, with your heads buried in the sand, debating whether a totally unnecessary and extravagant project should go north or south. This HSR farce shows how totally out of touch with reality the government is.

They are still fixated on the Mahathirist fallacy that development for the sake of development is good. The only good thing about physical development is the side benefits that the politicians gain. Meanwhile, social development is in the doldrums. Frozen somewhere about 1921.

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