There is no need to politicise transport infrastructure developments in the country, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Nov 27).
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NewsTranscript
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.