“Singapore Open to Discussing HSR Project with Malaysia, Awaits New Proposals “

Interest in the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur has been rekindled as the Malaysian government recently indicated a desire to revisit the initiative. Initially proposed in 2016 to boost connectivity and enable seamless rail travel between the two nations, the project was put on hold in 2021 after both countries couldn’t agree on proposed changes.

In response to questions from West Coast GRC MP Ang Wei Neng in Parliament on Jul. 2, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat confirmed that Singapore has not yet received any new proposals from Malaysia concerning the HSR project. Ang noted that Malaysia recently shortlisted three consortia for the project: YTL Construction Sdn Bhd-SIPP Rail Sdn Bhd, Berjaya Rail Sdn Bhd-Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd-Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd-IJM Construction Sdn Bhd, and a Chinese consortium led by China Railway Construction.

Chee reiterated Singapore’s stance from August 2023, stating, “Singapore is open to discussing new proposals with Malaysia in good faith, starting from a clean slate.”

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration revived interest in the HSR in 2023. The 330-350 km line could reduce travel between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to just 90 minutes, with intermediate stops at Muar and Melaka. In July 2023, Malaysia invited firms to submit private-public partnership proposals, receiving submissions from seven consortia by January 2024.

However, funding concerns remain, as the Malaysian government, facing a national debt of RM1.5 trillion (S$431 billion), has no plans to allocate government funds for the project. Though three consortia have been shortlisted, further steps depend on Cabinet approval and addressing key project viability and funding challenges.