KUALA LUMPUR: Mr Hamid Salleh, 68, has to wait for hours, especially during festive seasons, for his grandchildren to return to Terengganu from Kuala Lumpur.“Now, half of your day will be gone … crawling along the LPT (East Coast Expressway) during festive seasons (to reach home),” said the father of eight.At times, he resorts to driving all the way to Kuala Lumpur, just to be with his grandchildren.When news first broke that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) would provide a fast connection between Kuala Lumpur and the three east coast states – Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang – Mr Hamid hoped that his four sons and four daughters could be with him immediately, whenever he needs them.Travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, Kelantan, now takes eight hours by car through the LPT.With the ECRL’s speed of up to 160kmh, the journey will be shortened to just four hours.He envies those living on the west coast, who have benefitted from the Electric … [Read more...] about Businesses, residents hope Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link will go ahead despite cancellation fears
Malaysia china kuantan industrial park
China in Malaysia’s new scheme of things
CHINA had a favoured position in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Malaysia. Najib’s last official visit to China was in May, 2017; it marked his seventh to the country since 2009. This visit was an important one because it was at the invitation of Beijing to join in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. It was attended by 27 national leaders. Aside from President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, Najib took the opportunity to meet Jack Ma, digital economy adviser to the Malaysian government. The latter was supposed to play a pivotal role in driving Malaysia’s Digital Free Trade Zone. There was a time when China was noticeably present in Malaysia. This is aside from the fact that the country is Malaysia’s top trade partner and has enormous direct investments in Malaysia. China’s interests in Malaysia, aside from trade, grew rapidly during Najib’s administration. China-funded initiatives include a deep-sea port in … [Read more...] about China in Malaysia’s new scheme of things
‘A very dangerous game’: Anti-China sentiment echoed in Najib’s home state ahead of Malaysian election
KUANTAN, Pahang: For the first time in more than 10 years, Chan Thong Wai managed to cut himself a deal with a big contractor from China. After a year, his construction project is already completed and he is now counting the days until the final payment promised later this month. Then it is over.No more business with China.“I won’t touch it. It’s very difficult. The price is very bad and the payment is very slow,” said the 49-year-old entrepreneur from Kuantan, where a growing presence of China-backed megaprojects splits voters ahead of Malaysia’s fiercest political battle in decades - the 14th general election on May 9.Chan has been waiting to be paid for six months. Yet he counts himself luckier than several businessmen in the state capital of Pahang who never received any payment for their work. Unlike other foreign developers, the 49-year-old supplier said his Chinese client rarely provides documents to guarantee payment for his … [Read more...] about ‘A very dangerous game’: Anti-China sentiment echoed in Najib’s home state ahead of Malaysian election
‘A very dangerous game’: Anti-China sentiment echoed on Malaysia’s east coast ahead of election
KUANTAN, Pahang: For the first time in more than 10 years, Chan Thong Wai managed to cut himself a deal with a big contractor from China. His construction project is already completed and he is now counting the days until the final payment promised later this month. Then it is over.No more business with China.“I won’t touch it. It’s very difficult. The price is very bad and the payment is very slow,” said the 49-year-old entrepreneur from Kuantan, where a growing presence of China-backed megaprojects splits voters ahead of Malaysia’s fiercest political battle in decades - the 14th general election on May 9. Chan has been waiting to be paid for six months. Yet he counts himself luckier than several … [Read more...] about ‘A very dangerous game’: Anti-China sentiment echoed on Malaysia’s east coast ahead of election
Malaysia on right trajectory: Najib
KUALA LUMPUR: Sound policies by the government have put Malaysia on the right track towards becoming an advanced high income nation, said caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. He said this was evident with the move by the World Bank which had raised its forecast for Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018 to reach 5.4% from 5.2% previously. Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said in 2017, the World Bank revised upwards the country's GDP three times. "Within one year and three months (till March 2018), the World Bank has revised (the forecast) upwards four times. "This proves that we are on the right trajectory," he said at the "Hi-tea with Anak-Anak Pahang in the Klang Valley" event here today. Najib said the World Bank also projected that Malaysia could be categorised under the advanced high income nation by 2022. Meanwhile, the prime minister said the implementation of the high-impact East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project would definitely give a new breath of … [Read more...] about Malaysia on right trajectory: Najib