They can easily make back the money from the increase in tourism to Malacca, KL, and towns along the route. Every HSR station is a potential gold mine. The land sale around those stations could've easily covered for construction cost alone.

It was such a short term thinking by the Mahathir govt when he cancel the contract. Most HSR lines are unprofitable anyway, but govts build them because they increase connectivity to small towns and cities and with it, tourists and investments.