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PETALING JAYA: Another new development has added to the already numerous controversies surrounding the High Speed Rail (HSR) project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Reports have emerged that the line will now terminate in Johor instead of Singapore and, according to a report by news portal The Malaysian Insight, Malaysia is willing to pay up to RM300 million in compensation for abandoning its southern neighbor.
Unsurprisingly, some have raised questions about the rationale for downsizing the project, but others seem unfazed by the change, preferring to see the benefits rather than the downsides.
Economist Datuk Dr. Rajah Rasiah sees this as “strange” considering that the goal of the HSR is to improve connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
“A large number of people travel between the two countries every day and stopping the train in Johor will not reduce the daily commute to Singapore,” he told the Sun.
However, he admits that there are also benefits to be made. “At the very least, Malaysia will have more autonomy to involve project partners to take over construction, and this will make it easier to handle maintenance issues later,” he said.
Singapore and Malaysia accepted the project in 2016, but the huge price tag (between RM60 and 70 billion) drew much criticism.
The original plan was for eight stops from Kuala Lumpur via Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri before ending in Singapore, a distance of 350 km.
However, then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced in 2018 that the government would not continue the project given its high cost.
But in June, the Chief Minister of Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, said both countries agreed to extend the project’s postponement until December 31.
Then in November, current Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that Malaysia would continue the project without Singapore.
He followed this up with another statement on December 2 saying that both countries have gained “a good understanding” of each other’s position on the project.
Rajah believes that the problem is not so much the benefit the HSR will bring, but rather the lack of transparency.
“When it comes to so much money, you need to be more open,” he said.
MDS Consultancy Managing Director and Transportation Planning Expert Dr Rosli Azad Khan said that with Singapore out of the picture, Malaysia can now insist that all component suppliers install their production facilities here.
“This will ensure that at least some of the money stays in the local economy,” he told the Sun.
He said this will not only create jobs for Malaysians, but will also enhance efforts to develop local talents and expertise.
He said the materials could also be sourced locally, and there is always the possibility that the line would eventually extend north, all the way to Bangkok.
“The connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore is not a problem. It can be adequately addressed by other means such as the rapid transit system, the Johor Causeway, and the Second Interchange.
He said including Singapore in the package would only increase passenger uptake from Changi Airport, as Malays living in the south prefer to fly from Changi, where there are more flights and more options compared to KLIA.
“That would be more beneficial for Singapore than ours. Why hand over the international air market to Changi on us? ” I ask.
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