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High-speed rail deal inked, now the hard work is set to begin

Singapore and Malaysia will have to navigate a whole host of challenges that will invariably come their way

Lee U-Wen

Published Wed, Dec 14, 2016 · 09:50 PM

THERE was ample cause for celebration when Singapore and Malaysia finally put pen to paper on a historic bilateral agreement to build the High Speed Rail (HSR) linking the two neighbours.

The simple signing ceremony in Putrajaya on Tuesday, witnessed by Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Najib Razak during their annual retreat, is significant in many ways.

It took place nearly 46 months after the two leaders first made the surprise announcement in Singapore to go ahead with the massive project.

Negotiators and p…