MUAR, June 27 — Several mega projects that do not require additional funding will be continued to provide economic opportunities as the government seeks to boost the country’s economy following Covid-19, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

Although enormous expenses were being spent to deal with the problems caused by Covid-19, the Prime Minister said another strategy to provide other economic opportunities was by continuing mega projects that had already been decided.

"For example, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project involves an expenditure of RM40 billion, which other projects that were previously approved and do not require additional expenditure, are not stopped, instead they will continue.

"These include the project that we have decided, namely the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, which will stop at various stations, including the Pagoh Education Hub,” he said at a dialogue during a meeting with community leaders from the Pagoh parliamentary constituency here today.

Muhyiddin, who is also Member of Parliament for Pagoh, said upon reviewing the HSR project, as the Prime Minister in the new administration, he found that there was a need to proceed with it but details on the project are still being worked out both governments.

At the same time, he welcomed the involvement of the private sector in the project, as it could assist the government in reducing its burden in implementing the HSR project.

Last month, the Malaysian and Singapore governments mutually agreed to extend the deferment of the 350 kilometre-HSR project to Dec 31 from May 31.

In a statement, Senior Minister cum International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said both countries had agreed to resume discussions that would encompass some of the proposed changes in the commercial and technical aspects of the project. — Bernama