PETALING JAYA: Singapore’s transport ministry says Malaysia has proposed changes to the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR).
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According to the Singapore Straits Times, a ministry spokesman said Singapore has been discussing these proposed changes in “good faith” with Malaysia, though no details were reported.
“Singapore continues to believe that the HSR project is beneficial for both countries, and remains fully committed to fulfilling our obligations under the HSR bilateral agreement. We will make our best efforts to conclude discussions with Malaysia by Dec 31, 2020,” said the spokesman.
The spokesman added that if Malaysia does not proceed with the project by Dec 31, the country will have to bear costs incurred by Singapore to fulfill its part of the agreement.
The Singapore transport ministry’s comments echo that of the Singapore High Commission and comes in the wake of an FMT report in which sources said the project is expected to continue without Singapore’s participation.
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The sources said the new plan was for the line to end in Johor Bahru instead of Singapore and that Putrajaya have informed its Singapore counterpart on the matter.
In May, Singapore agreed to a Malaysian request to postpone the start of the project to the end of this year to allow for discussions on changes that Putrajaya had in mind.
The sources FMT spoke to were critical of a move to exclude Singapore, raising questions over the project’s viability and the impact on Malaysia’s relations with the island republic.
FMT has contacted the offices of the senior minister for economy, the economic affairs minister, the transport minister for their comments and is awaiting responses from them. – FMT