Transport infrastructure should remain above politics, says Loke

The Star

There is no need to politicise transport infrastructure developments in the country, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Nov 27).  Read more at https://shorturl.at/qVKQR  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00I want to give a commitment that my consideration as the Minister of Transport is based on all objective assessments.

00:08Our work in the government must look at the interests of the whole country.

00:13In this matter, I am a little disappointed with the view of the Honourable Pasir Mas earlier,

00:19who questioned the issue of the LRT project in Pulau Pinang.

00:23As if this Honourable Pasir Mas, if anything is related to Pulau Pinang,

00:27I asked the Minister, I asked a few questions.

00:29It's okay, sit down. I'll answer first.

00:31Earlier, because the Honourable Pasir Mas questioned the decline of passengers.

00:34I want to state first, from the perspective of this public transport project,

00:38it is true that it is difficult to recoup the investment.

00:41It is true that all public transport projects will involve a large government spending.

00:47If you want to get back the investment in a short period of time, it is difficult.

00:52Most of these public transport projects are at a loss.

00:54But we look at it from the perspective of socio-economic development.

00:58If you want to justify the decline of passengers,

01:01ICRL also likes to justify for Kelantan.

01:04But does the government say that we do not build ICRL to Kelantan?

01:10No. I have been Minister of Transport twice.

01:13In terms of ICRL to Kelantan, I have never said I do not support or oppose.

01:19We continue to defend the project until it reaches Kelantan.

01:22It will not be a problem.

01:23Recently, I tried to convince the Cabinet to see how ICRL can be extended to the long term.

01:31So that we can continue to Thailand.

01:35That is the difference between us and the Honourable Pasir Mas.

01:38I want Pulau Pindang to move forward. I also want Kelantan to move forward.

01:41I want the people of Pulau Pindang to get prosperity.

01:44I also want the people of Kelantan to get ease.

01:46Likewise, the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

01:48So let us not play politics in terms of this infrastructure.

01:52This infrastructure is important for the country.

01:54It is important for all regions. It is important for all countries.

01:57When we build infrastructure, it is beneficial for the people.

02:00It brings progress to the economy and also the development of the country.

02:04One more big thing that I want to answer in this matter

02:09because many have raised the issue of taxes on trains.

02:17Why do we want to do this tax border?

02:20There are many Honourable Pasir Mas, including Honourable Langkawi.

02:23He wrote a note to me saying that there is a dispute.

02:27There is a complaint from Honourable Langkawi.

02:30He said that the North KTM is always late.

02:34The train commuter is not on time.

02:36It is true. We know that this is a problem.

02:38This is a weakness.

02:40That is why I am trying to fix this weakness.

02:42Why is there a weakness in terms of negligence?

02:44Because the trains are not enough.

02:46Our trains are damaged.

02:48If we do it conventionally, in terms of procurement,

02:51how can the Ministry of Economy give RM10 billion?

02:54The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot give RM10 billion directly to the Ministry of Transport.

02:58Our budget for development is only RM4 billion.

03:01Other ministries also need it.

03:03That is why we have a tax model.

03:07Let me explain.

03:11This tax model is G2G.

03:13G2G is a competition between two governments.

03:16When there is a competition between two governments,

03:18the government is the guarantor.

03:20There was a question earlier.

03:22Why is it from China?

03:24The trains that I use are also from China.

03:28From CRRC.

03:29There was also a confusion earlier.

03:31The company's name is also wrong.

03:32It said CSSR.

03:33Not CSSR.

03:34CRRC.

03:36There is a factory in Batu Gajah now.

03:38If you are interested, you can go and see it.

03:41We don't have a problem with giving an explanation.

03:44This is not a matter of compromise.

03:47There is a saying that the trains from China are sent back by Indonesia.

03:51That is also wrong.

03:53That is ART.

03:55Not EMU.

03:57There is a difference.

03:58ART doesn't need a track.

04:00That is ART autonomy.

04:04Without a driver.

04:05That Indonesia wants to return.

04:06That is their fault.

04:08In this agreement,

04:10the Malaysian government will also require

04:12an SPV to be established.

04:14This SPV must be held by the Malaysian government.

04:1851%.

04:20The same effort from China to build these trains.

04:24And in terms of the fate and goodness of the KTNB workers,

04:29there is no effect at all.

04:31We never said we would reduce even one KTNB worker.

04:35Never.

04:36So the KTNB workers still have their jobs.

04:40Because there are many other trains that need to be supported.

04:43If we can increase the number of trains,

04:46there will be more operations.

04:48Of course, we need more workers.

04:50How is it possible to reduce the number of KTNB workers?

04:53So that is what I want to hope for the brothers and sisters.

04:56Including the clan earlier.

04:57They also questioned.

04:58The BBC also questioned.

05:00They also don't understand.

05:02So this is not a question of us being complied with by any party.

05:08This is from the perspective of one step,

05:11one solution, in a practical way.

05:14The brothers and sisters who asked,

05:16increase the number of trains.

05:17Increase the number of operations.

05:19Provide comfort.

05:20We have done it.

05:21In three years, we have already got 50 new sets of trains.

05:24Increase it for the north.

05:26Increase it for the police.

05:28Increase it for the south.

05:31Including the east coast.

05:33So brothers and sisters,

05:35I hope this can be understood.

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