The Railwaymen’s Union of Malaya (RUM) president Abdul Razak Md Hassan said based on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad’s (KTMB) records, the purchase comprised 30 units of six-car sets valued at RM1.9 billion acquired in 2012 and 10 units of Electric Train Set (ETS) valued at RM507 million in 2013.

The purchase also involved nine ETS valued at RM1.1 billion and 13 sets of Diesel Multiple Units worth RM1.5 billion as well as the maintenance of 38 units of six-car sets valued at RM750 million during the purchase period.

“The purchases were not made according to technical specifications and needs of KTMB.

“They were built based on the needs of the transport ministry and not KTMB as the user,” he said in a statement here today.

The union also said the previous government’s action, which focused on purchasing trains direct from China, appeared as if Malaysia was only focused on trains from the country when the products of other countries had better quality from the technical aspects.

Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali recently said there would be no more direct negotiations or closed tenders for future mega projects and they would be carried out in an open and transparent manner.

In this regard, RUM also sought the cooperation of the government to review Phase 2 of the Klang Valley Double Tracking (KVDT) project as it should be made through an open tender system.

This was because the contractor of KVDT Phase 1 had delayed the opening of the KL Sentral depot, it alleged.