PETALING JAYA (Jan 30): Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said no final decision has been made on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

“At this moment no final decision has been made, some decisions were made but now we have to find a better solution,” he told a press conference after chairing a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) meeting here yesterday.

Asked to confirm that the project had not been called off, he said: “We are still negotiating.”

Dr Mahathir said the Government felt that more time should be given to the concerned parties to come up with the solution to the problem concerning the RM81 billion project.

“I'm not in the position to give the explanation about what we are going to do, but no decision has been made at this moment,” he said.

Queried whether the Government would look at any other option rather than calling off the project, the Prime Minister responded: “There may be some other options, we are open.”

To another question, Dr Mahathir, who is also Bersatu chairman, said the Government had always been studying the cost of the ECRL project.

“Apparently there are offers by others that will cost the Government much less. I think the previous Government had made a very high estimate (of the cost), we need to attend to that,” he said.

On whether what was perceived by some people as conflicting information on the project would worry investors, Dr Mahathir said the situation arose because statements by Ministers on the matter were interpreted differently.

The Prime Minister said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng would make an announcement on the matter once the negotiations were completed.