Where is Selangor’s “missing link” in ECRL public display?

Media Statement by Yeo Bee Yin, State Assemblywoman for Damansara Utama on Wednesday 19 April 2017 in Petaling Jaya.

Where is Selangor’s “missing link” in East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) public display?

East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is currently doing public display in Surahanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) headquarters as required under the S.84 of the SPAD Act.

To my surprise, only 16.7km of Selangor portion from Titiwangsa range to Gombak is in the display, a big portion of the Selangor part of ECRL is left out from the public display (see attached the picture of the brochure.)
According to the SPAD personnel there, the “missing link” from Gombak to Port Klang, which is at least another 60km, will be in the second phase of the project.

马来西亚的父权主义和强奸文化

百乐镇州议员杨美盈于2017年4月13日（星期四）在八打灵再也所发表的文章。

巫统打昔牛汝莪国会议员沙布丁在一周前引起很多马来西亚人民的愤怒，他说道强奸受害者和她们的强奸者结婚并无不妥，这样她们就无须面对“黯淡的前途”。他还表示小至9岁或12岁的女孩子只要已经处于青春期，即她们的身体和18岁少女无异，就可以结婚。沙布丁的“和强奸者结婚”及“9岁女孩可以结婚”言论背后的核心思想不单是出于他个人的变态，它也反映出马来西亚社会根深蒂固的父权主义。

妇女在今时今日的马来西亚仍然被一些人视为物件、财产或比男人低一等。在9岁的男孩子被认为处于上学和游玩的年纪的同时，9岁的女孩子却被一些人看为“适婚”。

当强奸案发生时，我们经常会听到像“她当时的穿着是怎样的？”、“她当时在哪里？”、“她是否出夜门？”、“她当时是否喝醉了？”以及“她是否有说不？”的问题，仿佛假如这些问题的答案符合一般刻板的“促使强奸的条件”，她被强奸就变得是活该或自找的。受害者多少要为她们被侵犯负责的有害观念持续渗透在我们的社会里。

当谋杀案发生时，被怪责的总是杀人犯；当抢劫案发生时，被怪责的总是抢劫犯；当贩毒案发生时，被怪责的总是贩毒者；但当强奸案发生时，被怪责的为何却是受害者呢？没有任何妇女或女孩应该被强奸，没有！

这个怪罪受害者的父权文化解释了为何有这么少的受害者有勇气向当局报案，更别说在罪案发生后寻求强奸生还者的支援和协助，因为她们害怕被怪罪、被轻视和被抛弃。在马来西亚，每十宗强奸案只有两宗会被投报。平均来说，每年有大约3000宗强奸案，假如我们也将没有投报的案件算在内，我们将会看到一个令人震惊的事实，那就是马来西亚每35分钟就会有一名女孩或妇女被强奸。更糟的是，每3名强奸受害者中就有大约两名是未成年人士— 16岁以下的女孩子！ 

我对东海岸铁道（ECRL）工程的三大疑问

背景

马六甲海峡是世界上其中一条最重要的海运路线，它将印度洋和太平洋衔接起来。截至目前为止，这条将东亚和印度、中东及欧洲连接起来的900公里长海峡，运载着大约40%的世界贸易，每年有超过5万艘商船经过这里。

中国现在已经成为环球经济强国，而它接近80%的原油进口是经过马六甲海峡的，所以这条水道就成了中国能源安全的一项重要地缘政治课题。中国前国家主席胡锦涛在2003年把中国能源安全过度依赖于马六甲海峡的情况称为“马六甲困境”。

伴随着中国现任国家主席习近平的“一带一路”计划 （该计划的目的是要通过海陆基建促进中国和60多个国家的贸易联系），中国透过它的国营企业积极参与在马来西亚和运输交通有关的基建工程并不令人惊讶。这包括广西北部湾国际港务集团有限公司拥有关丹港口的40%股权，以及中国电力国际发展公司在价值430亿令吉的马六甲皇京港的联营，还有中国进出口银行和中国交通建设股份有限公司对东海岸铁道（ERCL）的融资和承建。

马来西亚如何面对“一带一路”计划将会影响着我们和未来世界最庞大经济体的关系。假如它是以策略性和透明化的方式进行的话，马来西亚人民将会从中受益。但巨型基建建筑工程也存在着让马来西亚陷入庞大债务的风险。

如今陷入困境的斯里兰卡可以让我们做个借镜。一个透过债务资助的巨型基建发展如果缺乏完善的计划以让当地经济从该项目中受惠，可能会带给国家一场债务灾难。斯里兰卡如今大部分的收入因为需要用来偿还债务都不能投资在教育、医疗及其他发展项目上。这些债务都是之前投入在到目前为止使用率极低的巨型基建上，例如过度庞大港口、机场等等 。

东海岸铁道（ECRL）真是Game Changer吗？

ECRL工程将会兴建600公里长的双轨电动铁道，它将会把巴生港口连接到位于雪兰莪鹅唛的综合交通航站，然后途经彭亨的文冬、文德甲和关丹港口；登嘉楼的甘马挽、吉底和瓜拉登嘉楼；以及吉兰丹的哥打巴鲁和道北。

图源：当今大马

这个新网络不但能将东海岸较落后的城镇和雪兰莪及吉隆坡连接起来，为这些城镇带来更多贸易、机会，也让这些城镇更容易到达，它也将马来西亚半岛东西海岸的港口连接起来，即关丹港口和巴生港口。ECRL项目的拥护者认为关丹—ECRL—巴生港口的连接会改变这区域的贸易路线，因为它可以让使用马六甲海峡的运输船只不必经过新加坡到达他们各自的目的地。

《海峡时报》在它题为“马来西亚的东海岸铁道被誉为能颠覆现状(Game Changer) 的工程”新闻报导里，按照来自马来西亚政府官员的资料提供了一道有趣的计算。它把从深圳途经关丹港口及ECRL到巴生港口的路线费用，与途经新加坡及马六甲海峡的路线费用做个对比。这个计算显示关丹—ECRL路线需时135个小时，每吨运货费用则是56美元；而新加坡—马六甲海峡路线需时165个小时，每吨运输货物费用是50美元。

关丹—ECRL路线可以节省30个小时但会贵10%。运输公司会否为节省30个小时而付出额外的运输费用和承受上货卸货的麻烦呢？我们也不确定官员所提供的运输时间资料是否有把上货卸货的时间算在内，因为这将会增加这条路线的航运时间。而上货卸货所增加的航运时间则取决于港口的效率。所以关丹—ECRL—巴生港口路线的可行性和实用性，需要更详细的研究和另外的公开讨论。

ECRL可疑的造价

无论如何，ECRL工程的造价将会影响乘客的火车票价及货物的运输费——工程造价越高，火车票和运输费就越昂贵。当乘搭费和运输费因着工程造价的增加而不再具有竞争力，ECRL可能将不会被充分使用，并会沦为一个昂贵的大白象。否则，政府就需要透过纳税人的钱给予补贴，让其费用保持竞争力。无论何者，人民最终都得为它买单。

东海岸铁道（ECRL）公开展示会里的雪兰莪的“消失路段”在哪里？

百乐镇州议员杨美盈于2017年4月1日（星期六）在八打灵再也所发布的媒体文告。

东海岸铁道（ECRL）公开展示会里的雪兰莪的“消失路段”在哪里？

东海岸铁道（ECRL）依据陆路交通委员会法令第S.84条文所规定的，目前正在陆路交通委员会（SPAD）总部进行公开展示。

但让我惊讶的是，公开展示的只有那段从蒂蒂旺沙到鹅唛的16.7公里的雪兰莪路段，ECRL的雪兰莪路段的大部分并没有被公开展示（附图）。按照那边的SPAD人员的说法，至少长约60公里的从鹅唛到巴生港口的“消失路段”将会出现在工程的第二个阶段。

THREE Questionable Areas of East Coast Rail Line (ECRL)

Background

The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, linking Indian and Pacific Oceans. As of now, the 900km long strait links East Asia with India, Middle East and Europe, with more than 50,000 merchant ships passing by every year, carrying about 40 percent of the world's trade.

The waterway is also an important geopolitical issue for China as nearly 80% of its total crude oil imports pass through the strait, leading the Former President Hu Jintao to label China's over-reliant on Strait of Malacca for its energy security as the “Malacca Dilemma” in 2003.

Coupled with China’s current President Xi JinPing’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which aims to improve trade connectivity of 60 plus countries on land and via sea, it is of no surprise to see China’s growing interest in Malaysia's mega infrastructure projects through its state-owned enterprises. These include Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Ltd owning 40% of Kuantan Port and PowerChina International’s joint venture in the RM43 billion Malacca Gateway development as well as the financing and construction of the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) by The Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China and China Communication Construction Co Ltd (CCCC) respectively.

How Malaysia leverages on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative will have considerable implications to our relationship with the world biggest economy in the future. If it is done in a strategic and transparent manner, Malaysians will stand to benefit from this effort. Nevertheless, there is also a risk that reckless mega infrastructure constructions will send Malaysia into deep debt trap.  

What happen to the troubled Sri Lanka now offers a good glimpse into how mega infrastructure financed by debt without proper framework to benefit local economies through the construction and completion of the infrastructure, is not development but debt disaster in the making. Instead of investing in education and health care, Sri Lanka spends most of its revenue now to pay off the debts to China that was used to finance the now under-utilized mega infrastructure, from port to airport. 

Economy Rail Coast Line (ECRL) as a Game Changer?

The ECRL project will have 600km of electrified double-tracking lines and will link Port Klang to the integrated transport terminal in Gombak in Selangor, then to Bentong, Mentakab and Kuantan Port in Pahang; Kemaman, Kerteh and Kuala Terengganu in Terengganu; and Kota Bharu and Tumpat in Kelantan.

Picture Source: Malaysiakini

The new network will not only connect the less developed east coast cities to Selangor and Kuala Lumpur bringing in more trades, accessibility and opportunities, but it will also connect ports on the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, i.e Kuantan Port and Port Klang. The proponents of the project believe that the Kuantan-ECRL-Port Klang connection could alter regional trade route, with the new link enable exporters to bypass Singapore to reach to their respective destinations.

The Strait Times in its news report “Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Line touted as game changer” has given an interesting calculation based on the information from Malaysian government officials (see picture). It compares the cost of the route from Shenzhen to Port Klang via Kuantan Port and the ECRL and via Singapore and the Strait of Malacca. It was said that the Kuatan-ECRL option will take 135 hours at a cost of USD 56 per tonne of bulk cargo whereas Singapore-Strait of Malacca route will take 165 hours at a cost of USD 50 per tonne of bulk cargo.

The Kuantan-ECRL option is about 10% more expensive with a time saving of 30 hours. However, is the saving of 30 hours worth the additional cost in transport and the hassle of loading and unloading? We are also not sure if the shipping time given by the officers quoted here actually included the loading and unloading of the cargo, which will increase the travel time of this route option depending on the efficiency of the ports. The feasibility and practicality of the Kuantan-ECRL-Port Klang route to bypass Singapore deserve a deliberate study and a separate public discourse.

The ECRL’s Questionable Price Tag

In any case, the cost of the ECRL project will affect the price of the passengers’ train tickets as well as the cargo’s freight fees - the higher the project cost, the more expensive the train tickets and freight fees will be. When the prices of passenger train tickets and cargo transportation are not competitive as a result of bloated project cost, the ECRL will likely become under-utilised and become an expensive white elephant. Otherwise the government needs to subsidise it to keep the price competitive through tax payers’ monies. Either way the rakyat will eventually need to pay for it.