Tun M on HSR: RM100bn outlay for 100,000 jobs inefficient

PETALING JAYA (May 31): Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has fired back at former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, saying that an investment of up to RM100 billion to create 100,000 jobs is “not very efficient”.

Najib defended the recently-scrapped Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) on his Facebook page yesterday, saying it would create 100,000 jobs initially, a figure which would increase to 442,000 by 2069.

He also said the mega infrastructure project could generate gross national income of RM650 billion by the same year.

"You want to spend RM60 billion to RM100 billion so that 100,000 people can work, that is not very efficient," Dr Mahathir told Malaysiakini last night (May 30).

The HSR – which Najib said cost only RM72 billion, and not the RM110 billion Dr Mahathir had asserted – was the first of the large projects to be axed by the Pakatan Harapan government to cut costs.

The government also announced yesterday that the third mass rapid transit (MRT 3) line, also known as the Circle Line, is scrapped.

Dr Mahathir said Malaysia will have to pay a compensation fee of around RM500 million to Singapore for terminating the project; however, he seeks to negotiate the fee.