Realigned ECRL needs fresh EIA

WE refer to the recent announcement by the government on the renegotiated East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project. We welcome the news that the new alignment will no longer cut through the Main Range and any possible impacts to the Klang Quartz Ridge will be avoided.

We also welcome the fact that the nation will be saving RM21.5bil or more through the renegotiations. In his recent interview with The Star, Tun Daim Zainuddin, who led the renegotiation talks for the ECRL project, was quoted as saying that projects that were deferred or cancelled post-GE14 must be restarted as decided by the Cabinet, as long as the cost is lowered but with the same specifications, “Eminently engaging insights” (March 31).