“It’s mere rhetoric” in light of the government’s failure to show seriousness with the Klang Valley Double-Tracking Project (KVDT2), Rosli told FMT.

In his recent debate with DAP chief Lim Guan Eng, Wee said the cabotage policy’s purpose was to protect Malaysia’s sovereignty and the local shipping industry, but Rosli asked: “What about KVDT2, which stalled after he became transport minister?”

Rosli said KVDT2 was important to Malaysian interests and its delay had adversely affected local companies, workers and the overall economy.

The project is in legal limbo following the termination of the contract by the previous Muhyiddin Yassin administration, in which Wee also served as transport minister.

The dispute has caused delays to the project, making parts of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) railway network unsafe.

Rosli said the Klang Valley needed commuter services to operate at an optimal level to support commuting and cargo services.

“Construction work has led to a reduction in service capacity and delays in train services, causing passengers to switch to other modes of transport,” he said, adding that there had been a drastic decline in KTM patronage since 2015, when the KVDT project began.

“I am indeed very surprised that the government is unaware of this straightforward phenomenon in relation to its decision-making process.”

Rosli said Wee must recognise the consequences of delaying KVDT2 on KTMB, such as the loss of revenue from passengers and cargo.

“Unreliable train services will lead to people’s loss of confidence in them,” he said. “If they switch to other modes of transportation like buying their own cars, it’s going to be hard to get them to use public transport again.

“More cars on the road leads to a whole set of problems linked to traffic congestion, including loss of productivity, increased costs of living and carbon emissions.”

He urged the government to seek the advice of independent consultants on the KVDT2 project.