Malaysia had requested for a further six-month suspension of RTS Link, says S’pore minister.

rTs suspension extended by six more months to allow deals to be inked

SINGAPORE: Malaysia has requested to extend the suspension of the cross-border Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, says the island republic’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

Malaysia had requested on Oct 29 to extend the suspension of the RTS project for a third time until April 30, 2020, Khaw said in a written parliamentary reply on Monday.

Singapore agreed to the further six-month suspension in the spirit of bilateral cooperation, The Straits Times reported Khaw as saying.

The Star recently front-paged a report on Malaysia’s request for the six-month extension.

In Kuala Lumpur, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the suspension of the project was to allow for important agreements to be amended and inked.

“Malaysia requested the six-month extension not to review the project, but to ensure that three agreements can undergo the necessary amendments before being signed by April 30, 2020,” he said.

This included the amended bilateral agreement, joint venture agreement and concession agreement, he added.

“As we announced before, the government has decided to continue with the RTS with amendments to the scope and structure of the project.

“We need to have a study and to appoint a consultant to conduct a joint engineering study.

“We expect the new agreement to be signed before April 30 next year,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

Loke reiterated that the sixmonth extension came after a mutual agreement between Malaysia and Singapore.

On news that the RTS project would proceed with a 36% cost cut, Loke said this was for the Malaysian side from the Bukit Chagar station until the border bridge.

On Oct 31, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the new cost estimated for the project would be about RM3.16bil, or 36% less compared with the original amount of RM4.93bil under the previous Barisan Nasional government.

“Discussions are ongoing. We know the requirements of the Singaporean side and there are certain conditions we must meet,” said Loke.

The deadline for the suspension of the RTS project was first set for Sept 30 but on Sept 29, the Singaporean Transport Ministry said the date had been extended to Oct 31.

The suspension was requested by the Malaysian government, which needed more time to decide on whether to proceed with the project or to make changes to the initial proposal.

The RTS, which is aimed at easing congestion at the Johor Causeway, will link Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore.

The project was supposed to be completed by Dec 31, 2024.

Meanwhile, MCA international communication and diplomacy bureau chairperson Dr Tee Ching Seng said Singapore’s confirmation that the RTS project was being put on hold again contradicted Loke’s “indignant fury just days ago over news portal The Star’s alleged misreporting, and strongly denying claims that the RTS project will be further delayed”.

“Now that it has been proven that The Star’s report was not fake news, and the request even being initiated by Malaysia, was Anthony Loke trying to feign ignorance or was he bent on sabotaging the news portal’s credibility?” asked Dr Tee in a press statement.

He said while all this politicking was going on, people in Johor continued to struggle in their daily commute across the congested causeway.