Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on February 14, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Both the Malaysian and Chinese governments’ handling of sensitive issues surrounding the proposed RM81 billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project should be kept to a low profile, said the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC).

MCCC called for non-governmental people and organisations to allow sufficient space and time for both governing authorities to carry out negotiations, which it hoped could end up minimising losses or achieving a win-win solution.

“The chamber, which has been implementing the concept of promoting economic and trade development and investment cooperation between the two countries for a long time, is very concerned about the development progress of various domestic Chinese-funded projects,” it said in a statement yesterday.

“MCCC is optimistic about the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, and will do its best to assist the two countries in their all-round cooperation and common prosperity process by making full use of private enterprises and cooperating with the pro-business policy of the new government.

“In the long run, if the ECRL and other relevant capital intensive projects can be handled amicably even under such challenging circumstances, it will demonstrate the political wisdom of the leaders of both Malaysian and Chinese governments. And this will create a friendly investment and economic environment for all foreign investors including Chinese investors,” added the MCCC.

The ECRL project, whose contractor is China Communications Construction Company Ltd, has made headlines recently following conflicting statements from officials, including ministers.

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