PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would have had to fork out RM200mil compensation to Singapore if the initial agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link was not inked by the July 31, 2020 deadline, revealed the Transport Minister.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said he had to do his best to iron things out with his Singapore counterpart following his appointment as minister on March 10, 2020.
He said this was because the RTS, once completed, would serve as a catalyst to connect Johor with Singapore with an ability to transport 10,000 passengers per hour in both directions.
“This will greatly benefit those relying on public transport as it will be easier for them to travel back and forth across the Singapore-Malaysia border,” he said, adding that the link would also reduce traffic congestion at entry points and help stimulate local tourism.
With the RTS, the journey between Bukit Chagar station in Johor and Woodlands North station in Singapore will only take five minutes.
The RTS can ferry up to 288,000 people daily whereby those commuting with the RTS Link would only have to go through Immigration clearance once at the point of departure – either at Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru or Woodlands in Singapore.
The project, which was meant to be completed in 2024, was suspended and resumed on July 30, 2020. The RTS is now scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
Dr Wee emphasised that the RTS Link was initiated by the Barisan Nasional government and not by the then Pakatan Harapan administration.
“When Pakatan helmed the government in 2018, they decided to restudy the project which postponed the completion date from 2024 to 2026,” he said.
He said the first agreement was signed by both governments on Jan 16, 2018, which was a two-way agreement between the Singapore Land Transport Agency and the Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission, now known as the Land Public Transport Agency.
Dr Wee chided former Transport Minister Anthony Loke for claiming credit on the commercialisation of Bukit Chagar, saying this was actually an objective since the planning stages of the RTS Link.
“Similarly, the Stage Bus System Transformation (SBST) known as MyBas along with the Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (IMBRT) was initiated by the Barisan Nasional administration and not by Pakatan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Wee announced that the daily quota for the Malaysia-Singapore land vaccinated travel lane (VTL-Land) will be increased from 2,160 to 3,420, effective Monday.
He said with this, more of the fully vaccinated would be able to travel without being subjected to quarantine and other requirements, adding that the sale of bus tickets for the additional daily quota will begin today.
Malaysia’s designated bus operator will continue to operate the VTL-Land to Singapore from the Larkin Terminal in Johor Baru, he said.
“Passengers will still be subjected to existing VTL-Land travel requirements including the pre-departure (PDT) tests and on-arrival tests (OAT),” the minister said in a statement yesterday.