Joint Singapore-Malaysia decisions on HSR and RTS link to be announced soon: Khaw Boon Wan

SINGAPORE and Malaysia should be able to announce their joint decisions on the high-speed rail (HSR) and Rapid Transit System (RTS) soon, said Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan in a Facebook post on Thursday.

He was referring to the planned rail links between both countries - the Johor Baru-Singapore RTS link and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR.

This comes after a meeting here with Malaysia's Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, who he described as an "inspiring leader" with whom he had been "brainstorming ideas on how to further our bilateral relationship".

"We are inching closer to a win-win deal on HSR, thanks to the hard work of officials from both sides," said Mr Azmin in a post on his Facebook page.

The pair had also met last week in Putrajaya to discuss the HSR project, which Mr Azmin described as a thorough and detailed discussion.

Mr Azmin is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing later on Thursday.

While Kuala Lumpur has confirmed that the delayed RTS link will go ahead, it has requested a deferment of the HSR as it tackles its RM1 trillion (S$331 billion) national debt.

The HSR project was inked in 2016 and originally slated for completion in 2026.

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