KL-SG High Speed Rail Comes to A FullStop, With M’sia Compensating S’pore of $100 Million
The Kuala Lumpur – Singapore joint High Speed Rail (HSR) is no more with the proposed several changes to the HSR project in the light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, despite after several discussions and both countries were unable to reach an agreement.
The Government of Malaysia and Singapore has this HSR project started back in the 1990s where the project was repeatedly shelved due to cost issue, as the former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as agreed to build a High Speed Rail Link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and both countries has signed the agreement in December 2016.
As in 2018, when Mahathir Mohamad has becomes the 7th prime minister after winning on the May general election, the requested for the HSR project suspended due to high construction cost, where in September 2016, both countries agreed to suspend the HSR Project until May 2020. Where Malaysia subsequently reimbursed Singapore S$15 million in abortive cost and putting the project on hold. As Mahathir resigned on February 2020. His successor Muhyiddin Yassin has proposed to extend the suspension to December 31, 2020.
However, earlier this month Malaysian media has reported that Malaysia government intended to go ahead with the HSR project without Singapore and will pay up around RM300 million (S$100 million) as compensation for terminating the HSR Bilateral Agreement.
