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JOHOR BARU (THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The Johor government is hopeful that the High Speed Rail (HSR) project will continue, even if it is not linked to Singapore.
Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad said on Saturday (January 2) that the HSR project could still bring huge benefits to the country.
He added that Johor would be the main beneficiary of the project, as most of HSR’s development would be in the state.
He said that although Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR has been canceled, Johor Umno is hopeful that it can 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,” Datuk Hasni told a news conference at the Johor Umno office.
Separately, the Umno Youth wing said it was disappointed by the decision to terminate the HSR link connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
“The cancellation of a high-impact infrastructure project that has a multiplier effect is a backward and counterproductive step in efforts to reactivate the post-Covid-19 economy.
“The action of the Malaysian government is a big mistake at the beginning because it goes against the current trend of economic development observed in neighboring countries,” Umno Youth Chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a publication on Saturday. Facebook.
In a statement after the completion of the HSR was announced on Friday, Prime Minister’s Department Minister Mustapa Mohamed said the government would undertake a detailed study to explore all possible options, including the feasibility of an HSR project. national and its benefits for Malaysians.
The 350km line would have been extended from a terminal station in Bandar Malaysia in central Kuala Lumpur, to a terminal in the western Jurong area of Singapore.
There has been speculation in the media that the federal government would continue with the Kuala Lumpur HSR project, with its terminal station in Johor Baru.
Hasni said that although the new HSR route did not involve a station in the island republic, the project would still benefit Malaysians.
He urged the federal government to involve Johor to study any new HSR projects, including identifying new locations for the stations.
Meanwhile, Johor PKR Deputy Director Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said that the completion of the KL-Singapore HSR project was a “missed opportunity” not only for Johor but also for Malaysia.
The project could have been a game changer and a great economic catalyst if managed well from the start, rather than Malaysia having to pay millions of ringgit compensation to Singapore, he said, as quoted by Malay Mail online.
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