Johor hopes High Speed Rail project will take off

JOHOR BARU: Johor is hoping the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project will continue as it is a high impact project that can bring a lot of economic benefits to both countries.

The HSR would provide a lot of job opportunities not just for skilled workers but also for medium and ordinary workers, said Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad.

“The project can also boost the economy and help the people and traders living near the HSR route,” he said in a statement.

Hasni said the state government always supported high impact projects which would benefit the people and the state’s economy.

On Sunday, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said both governments agreed to extend the deferment of the HSR to Dec 31.

The International Trade and Industry

Minister said both governments also agreed to resume discussions on the HSR infrastructure project with proposed changes.

In September 2018, both governments had agreed to suspend the construction of the bilateral project until May 31 this year to find the best way forward for the project.

The Malaysian government has been reviewing the project with MyHSR Corp to identify cost reduction options, such as station locations and business model.

In the event that the project does not proceed, after the end of the original suspension date which was in May this year, Malaysia will have to reimburse Singapore for “abortive costs”.

Under the new agreement, the HSR service is expected to start by Jan 1, 2031, instead of Dec 31, 2026.

Former prime minister Tun Dr

Mahathir Mohamad had said the project would be postponed and not cancelled.

This was because Malaysia could not afford to pay the compensation to Singapore if the project was cancelled, he said.

Hasni said while the decision was only expected at the end of the year, he believed many meetings would be held to fine-tune the technical and commercial aspects of the project.