KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the republic is open to fresh proposals from Malaysia on the cancelled Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project, although both sides previously agreed to terminate it.

       He said the transport ministries would discuss the matter and Singapore looked forward to receiving more details from Malaysia.

       “Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) suggested reviving discussions on the HSR. I responded to the PM that Singapore and Malaysia had previously reached an agreement to terminate the HSR project, and this had been amicably settled and closed.

       “Nevertheless, Singapore is open to fresh proposals from Malaysia on the project, and the two ministries of transport will discuss the matter.

       “Singapore looks forward to receiving more details from Malaysia so that we can study them and consider the matter again starting from a clean slate,” he said during a joint press conference with Ismail Sabri in Singapore which was also streamed live on his official Facebook page.

       The joint press conference was held in conjunction with the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme between both countries.

       On Jan 1, 2021, Malaysia and Singapore jointly announced the termination of the HSR project as both countries failed to reach an agreement on changes proposed by Malaysia before the project agreement lapsed on Dec 31, 2020.

       In March this year, Malaysia announced that it had paid S$102.8mil to Singapore for costs incurred for the development of the HSR project and in relation to the extension of its suspension.

       On the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project, Lee said construction was ongoing and that both countries looked forward to the system commencing its passenger services by the end of 2026.

       The RTS Link is a 4km cross-border rail project that links the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station to the Malaysia terminus in Bukit Chagar, Johor Baru.

       It will support a peak capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. — Bernama