Malaysia-Singapore Rapid Transit System gets the green light

Nelson Benjamin The Star 19 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to go ahead with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking Johor Baru with the republic.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said both countries had a year to draft the plans on the preferred option for the RTS.

He added that under phase one, the alignment and station scheme options would be identified.

“Once this is decided, we can move to phase two,” Anifah said during a briefing on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's two-day working visit to Singapore which began yesterday.

It is learnt that among the options being considered is a bridge or an underground tunnel link.

Singapore had earlier announced that its Thomson mass rapid transit (MRT) line would be opened in stages from 2019.

The 30km line will run through the north-south corridor of the island republic, starting in Woodlands, the area closest to Johor Baru via the Causeway, and passing through industrial, residential and shopping districts before ending at Marina Bay.

The S$18bil (RM44bil) line will be completely underground and is expected to serve 400,000 commuters daily.

Anifah said leaders from both countries were expected to discuss the progress and implementation of the Points of Agreement.

“Both leaders will also travel to Iskandar Malaysia in Johor to launch the ground-breaking ceremony of the Urban and Resort Wellness project.

He added that it involved a 2ha “Urban Wellness” project in Medini North and a 84ha “Resort Wellness” in Medini Central.

Other issues to be discussed include cooperation in aviation and airport services between Senai and Changi airports as well as the establishment of ferry and water taxi services between Puteri Har-bour in Iskandar and Tuas in Singapore.

Anifah added that there was steady progress in the implementation of initiatives under the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia including in transport, immigration, tourism, environment and industrial cooperation.

Malaysia-Singapore high-speed rail link
The Star 20 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to build a high-speed rail link between the city state and Kuala lumpur.

The link will cut travelling time between the two destinations to just 90 minutes, from the hours it now takes by rail and road.

The two countries also agreed on a rapid transit system linking Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system with Johor Baru.

Both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong described the speed-link project as a “game changer” .

“This project will change the way we do business, look at each other and interact,” said Najib.

“We hope to meet the 2020 deadline for the project,” he told a joint press conference after the annual leaders retreat here.

The two mass “people mover” projects are part of multi-billion ringgit business deals between the two countries.

These include a wellness project at Nusajaya in Johor and a mixed development project between Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd and the Singapore Government investment arm Temasek in Danga Bay worth RM8.1bil.

Najib said the high-speed rail link would be built via public-private partnership with strong government participation.

“It will be on the basis of private sector funding with the government providing structural support and participation.”

Lee said the project would make it faster to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by rail than by air, including waiting time.

He recalled that Najib mooted the idea of the link at a meeting some months ago and he felt that it was a good idea.

On the rapid transit system, Lee said the two countries had 12 months to decide on whether to build a bridge or an undersea tunnel between the two countries.

Later the two leaders unveiled the Marina One project, which is in the heart of Singapore's new central business district undertaken by M+S Pte Ltd, a company owned 60:40 by Khazanah Holdings Bhd and Temasek.

They were also updated on the integrated development DUO joint venture. The two projects have a gross development value of S$11bil (RM26.4bil).

The leaders lauded the excellent progress in relations between the two countries since the Points of Agreement was settled in 2010.

In a three page statement, they agreed to intensify existing cooperation and explore new ways to leverage on the complementarities between Singapore and Iskandar, just across the island republic.

They agreed among others to look into the feasibility of a third road link between the two countries in the long term, and establishing new ferry terminal and Customs, Immigration and Quarantine facilities at Puteri Harbour in Johor this year.

Singapore, Malaysia agree on high-speed rail link
Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 19 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: The leaders of Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to build a high-speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur that will significantly cut travel time for commuters to just 90 minutes!

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak made the announcement after a retreat in Singapore on Tuesday.

Both described the upcoming project as a "game changer" that will give both countries greater stakes in each other's prosperity and success.

The Leaders' Retreat is an annual meeting for both prime ministers to take stock of bilateral ties and discuss areas of further cooperation.

Since the resolution of the Points of Agreements in 2010, relations have progressed steadily.

Mr Lee said it was Mr Najib who first mooted the idea of a high-speed rail link, some months back.

Mr Lee said: "It's a strategic project for the two countries. It will change the way we see each other. It's the way people in London and Paris are able to - think of it like twin cities where you can commute, go up there, do business, meet friends have a meal and come back, all within maybe two-thirds of a day.

"And I think it's going to be a game-changer. It will transform the way people interact, the intensity of our cooperation and the degree in which we become inter-dependent on one another and therefore have stakes in each other's success."

Mr Najib agreed. He said: "It will change the way we do business, the way we look at each other, the way we interact. And it will be seamless in every sense of the word. Within a mere 90 minutes from door to door, people can travel from KL to Singapore and vice versa.

"So, I'm excited about the project. We will certainly do our level best to meet the 2020 deadline. It may go slightly beyond that but those are details in implementation."

The distance between Singapore and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is about 315km.

Currently, it can take up to 8 hours by train between the two cities; by bus or car, up to 5 hours; and flight, about 45 minutes.

Mr Lee said: "90 minutes, travel time, that should be faster than even taking a plane if you add in the waiting time at both ends. I think it will become like, as Prime Minister Najib said, like between the European cities where you consider the two cities as one virtual urban community; I can live in one city, I can work on the other side, I can come back the same day.

"It's happened in Europe, it's happened in Taiwan between Taipei and Kaohsiung with their high speed train. I think it will happen in China, because they've built a high speed train network, and if you look at Southeast Asia, and you talk about connectivity between ASEAN countries then a high speed train between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is the link that makes the most sense.

"The population is there, the economic vitality is there, the spending power is there. The rationale is good."

Mr Najib said the project will be a partnership between the private and public sectors.

He also said: "We will draw on each other's experience. Of course, Singapore has got many years of experience running the MRT. We can look at modalities in other countries...UK, France...Madrid, Barcelona, and you've got the cities in China as well, connected by high speed rail.

"Those are example of projects we can use as a basis for us to work out very doable, practical model for this rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The important thing is this is huge, this is big, this is a real game-changer."

The leaders have tasked the joint ministerial committee to look into details and modalities of the high-speed rail link.

The high-speed rail link will also complement another rail project - the Rapid Transit System Link that will link Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia to Singapore's local trains along the upcoming Thomson Line that is expected to be ready by 2019.

In the longer term, both sides will also look into the possibility of a third road link between the two countries.

Also launched on Tuesday by the two prime ministers were two wellness projects in Medini at Iskandar Malaysia and a mixed development project at Danga Bay.

The leaders also noted the progress of the joint developments by Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional and Singapore's Temasek Holdings in Singapore (by M+S Pte Ltd) and in Iskandar Malaysia (by Pulau Indah Ventures Sdn Bhd).

Both sides have also agreed on the final composition and terms of reference of the Industrial Cooperation Workgroup.

This group will be spearheaded by Singapore's Economic Development Board and Malaysia's Investment Development Authority.

It will explore mutually beneficial economic activities and facilitate the hiring of skilled workers, among other things.

Tuesday's retreat is the fourth between Mr Najib and Mr Lee.

With the Malaysian General Election looming, Mr Najib said he would like to see continuity in these long-term projects.

The next leader's retreat is scheduled for 2014, in Malaysia.

- CNA/al/ir