Guan Eng: We can afford all shelved mega projects, if not for 1MDB and other scandals

– Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia would have been able to afford to go ahead with the shelved mega projects if not for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandals and other ‘mini 1MDBs’ said Finance minister Lim Guan Eng.

“We would have been able to afford all these including the originally planned LRT3. The 1MDB scandal itself costs us RM50bil, this year we have to pay over RM1bil to settle the debts,” Lim said at a press conference today.

He said the scandals had cost the country a lot of money and sometimes the people couldn’t comprehend he massive nature of these scandals.

“For example the LRT3, if the BN government continued to rule the price tag for LRT3 would be sustained at RM32bil. This amount won’t be borne by us but by the future generation : our children,” he said.

Lim noted that the cost of the LRT3 was deliberately hidden by the previous government when it only costed RM10bil when it was initially announced then.

“Many people didn’t believe the cost then, but alas the actual cost is at RM32bil after we found a letter dated March 2018 by Prasarana (requesting for additional funding),” he said.