“The terms of the agreement (for the HSR) are such that if we decide to drop the project, it will cost us a lot of money. We have entered into an agreement with Singapore,” he said in an interview with The Edge Weekly. The RM100 billion project is one of several infrastructure plans initiated by ousted prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration, which is under review by the new government. When asked if money borrowed for the project will not be brought into the country, Dr Mahathir answered in the affirmative. And the payments to the contractors – China Communications Constructions Co Ltd – are supposed to be made on staggered terms regardless of (the stage of) work done.

Source: New Strait Times May 27, 2018 06:45 UTC