Malaysia has revealed plans to send an official representative to Singapore to discuss the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project by the end of the month.
Malaysia's Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said, āIām in communication with our Singaporean counterpart. Last week, I was briefed by our attorney-general and presented the case (to the Cabinet) on Wednesday,ā as quoted by Bernama (Jul 16).
The 350km-long HSR deal, inked in 2016 under the previous Barisan Nasional administration, is one of several mega projects being reviewed by the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government after it took power in May. The HSR, that first proposed by Malaysia in 2013 would slash the land travelling time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to just 90 minutes - compared to four to five hours by car. It was originally expected to be completed in 2026.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said last week his government had not yet officially informed Singapore of its decision on the HSR. "We have not given them full notice yet, but they know what we want to do," he was quoted as telling reporters last Tuesday.
In May, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said that his government will cancel the HSR project as it would not benefit the country. Since the announcement, Singapore has not received a formal notification from Malaysia of its plan to drop the project.
In fact, no reply has been given to the city-stateās diplomatic note sent on 1 June to seek clarification on the issue, revealed Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament last week. As such, the cost incurred by Singapore on the project continued to rise rapidly while waiting, noted Khaw.
Preliminary estimates showed that the Singapore Government had so far incurred S$250 million on the project, with a further S$40 million needed by the end of the year. Singapore intends to exercise its rights to compensation should the HSR project be terminated.
Sources: straitstimes.com, propertyguru.com.sg, todayonline.com