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JOHOR BARU: The Johor government is hopeful that the High Speed Rail (HSR) project will continue, even if it has no links to Singapore.
Johor Menteri Kissing Datuk Hasni Mohammad (Photo) He said that an ISS project could still bring huge benefits to the country.
He added that Johor would be the main beneficiary as most of the HSR project development would be in the state.
He said that even though Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced that the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR was not possible for now, Johor Umno was hopeful that it could be resumed in the future.
“At the same time, we also do not rule out the possibility of Singapore participating in the new project in terms of investment,” Hasni told a press conference held at Johor Umno’s office here on Saturday (January 2).
In a statement after the termination of the HSR was announced on Friday (January 1), Prime Minister’s Department Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the government would undertake a detailed study to explore all possible options, including the feasibility of a national HSR project and its benefits for Malaysians.
“Malaysia and Singapore enjoy very close bilateral ties. We will continue to strengthen these ties, including enhancing connectivity between our two countries for mutual benefit,” Mustapa said.
Hasni said that although the new HSR route did not involve a station in the island republic, the project would still benefit Malaysians.
He also urged the federal government to involve Johor in studying any new HSR projects, including identifying new locations for the stations.
On Friday, Muhyiddin and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in a joint press release, said that the Malaysian government had proposed several changes to the HSR project in light of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its economy.
“Both governments had held various discussions regarding these changes and had not been able to reach an agreement. Therefore, the HSR Agreement had expired on December 31, 2020.
“Both countries will comply with their respective obligations and will now proceed with the necessary actions, resulting from this termination of the HSR Agreement.
“Both countries remain committed to maintaining good bilateral relations and cooperating closely in various fields, including strengthening connectivity between the two countries,” the statement read.
Prime Minister’s Department Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the government will carry out a detailed study to explore all possible options, including the feasibility of a national ISS project and its benefits for Malaysians.
“Malaysia and Singapore enjoy very close bilateral ties. We will continue to strengthen these ties, including enhancing connectivity between our two countries for mutual benefit,” Mustapa said.
In December 2016, both countries signed an agreement to carry out the HSR project.
In September 2018, both governments agreed to suspend construction of the project until May 31 this year to find the best way forward.
In May, both governments agreed to extend the postponement of the ISS until December 31.
The Malaysian government had been reviewing the project with MyHSR Corp to identify cost reduction options such as station locations and business models.
The HSR was expected to be operational by 2026 and was expected to reduce the travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to just 90 minutes.
The HSR line would have been 350km long, 335km in Malaysia and 15km in Singapore.
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