‘We just can’t pay’: Mahathir soothes China’s ego over Malaysia’s cancelled East Coast Rail Link
- Malaysian prime minister says pressing ahead with the project would leave his country ‘impoverished’ and urges Chinese parties to understand
- His comments come a day after Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou suggested talks on the project were ongoing
Mahathir’s comments appeared to be aimed at ensuring there would be no bruised egos in Beijing arising from the cancellation and his government’s protracted – and at times convoluted – deliberation on the issue.
“It is not because we don’t want to honour our contracts, but we just cannot pay,” Mahathir told reporters as he was quizzed on the matter for the second time in two days.
“[The project] will impoverish us, so we seek the understanding of the parties concerned that it is not because we want to frustrate or throw out a contract. It is because we are really tight in terms of finance,” the prime minister said.
Pressed a third time late on Tuesday, the prime minister stood by his earlier comments but would not confirm the cancellation outright. “No final decision has been made. [It’s] not off yet. No call off, no final decision yet,” he was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight news portal.
