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Malaysia in transition

Malaysia rethinks projects linked to railway, Chinese cash and 1MDB

Scrapped high-speed train suggests looming changes for costly infrastructure plans

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, second from left, studies a model of the East Coast Rail Link at Kuantan Bahang, Malaysia in August 2017.   © Reuters

SINGAPORE -- Malaysia's decision to scrap the high-speed rail link from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore suggests that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's new government could resort to drastic measures on other big projects to cut the country's debt.

It could also signal Malaysia's intent to wrest control of Chinese-led projects that emerged amid the management crisis at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

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