Plan for Bandar Malaysia to fund HSR unsustainable, say experts

Free Malaysia Today

A transport expert and an economist cite economic risks and question the necessity for both projects in the post-pandemic era.  Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/posts/preview/?p=NXBGMmlKdG9BRTcxSlpEdDB4Y3lCMkpRQUpqUWxJSkQ4cHZPd3FwZGlMVT0=  Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2024/09/12/perancangan-bandar-malaysia-biaya-hsr-tak-mampan-kata-pakar/  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #WeeKaSiong #BandarMalaysia #HSR

Transcript

00:00A transport expert and an economist have questioned a proposal to use profits derived

00:07from the Bandar Malaysia project to finance the construction of a high-speed rail link

00:13between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

00:16Transport consultant Rosli Khan called the business plan unsustainable, saying it may

00:21be premised on an overestimation of the profitability of both projects.

00:26He said economic uncertainties such as inflation, supply chain disruptions, and fluctuating

00:32market conditions could lead to cost overruns for both the Bandar Malaysia and the HSR projects,

00:39making it difficult to generate the expected returns.

00:43Rosli also pointed to a shift in transportation patterns following the COVID-19 pandemic,

00:49pointing in particular to a rise in remote work and reduced business travel, which could

00:55affect the financial viability of the HSR project.

00:58Meanwhile, economist Geoffrey Williams warned that the government could be forced to undertake

01:04yet another bailout if either project fails to meet its financial or development goals.

01:10He said this would take resources from essential public priorities in health, education and

01:15social protection.

01:17Last week, former Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong proposed aligning the HSR project with

01:23the RM140 billion Bandar Malaysia development, suggesting that with proper execution, the

01:29profits from Bandar Malaysia could cover all or a significant portion of building the HSR.

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