Landmark HSR pact to be inked at Malaysia-Singapore leaders’ retreat
PUTRAJAYA: The 7th Malaysia- Singapore Leaders’ Retreat kicked off in Putrajaya yesterday, with a four- eyed meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, prior to the signing of a landmark Kuala Lumpur- Singapore High Speed Rail ( HSR) Agreement.
Lee, who is accompanied by several cabinet ministers and senior officials, then proceeded for a delegation meeting with Najib’s delegation for both sides to discuss bilateral issues of mutual concern and review the progress of existing bilateral cooperation.
The discussion was also to build on the momentum of discussions held and initiatives agreed upon during the 2015 Leaders’ Retreat.
Both prime ministers will then witness the signing of the Kuala Lumpur- Singapore HSR Agreement by Singapore Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan and Malaysia’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
Malaysia and Singapore inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the HSR project on July 19 this year to pave the way for the project where travellers will be able to reach the end destination between the two cities in just 90 minutes.
The 350km rail line is expected to begin construction next year and be operational in 2026, to boost connectivity, enhance people-to-people ties and improve business linkages between the two countries.
It will comprise eight stops in total, namely Bandar Malaysia, Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat, Iskandar Puteri and Singapore.
In the evening, Najib will host an official dinner in conjunction with the 7th Malaysia- Singapore Leader’s Retreat at Seri Perdana.
The Leaders’ Retreat is an annual event hosted rotationally between Malaysia and Singapore.
The inaugural Leaders’ Retreat was held in May 2007 in Langkawi and has since been a forum for both countries to further strengthen bilateral relations.
In 2015, Singapore was Malaysia’s second largest trading partner globally, with total trade between the two countries recorded at USD59.5 billion (then RM190.6 billion). — Bernama