Revived Bandar Malaysia project to house KL-Singapore HSR station
PUTRAJAYA: The revived Bandar Malaysia project would house a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) station, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
He said although Malaysia and Singapore have yet to finalise details on the stalled HSR project, it would definitely have a stop in Bandar Malaysia, a 197ha mixed development with commercial and residential sites.
"We have not decided on the HSR project itself, but yes, it (Bandar Malaysia) will have an HSR station," said Dr Mahathir at a press conference after the signing of the Bandar Malaysia agreement at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.
Dr Mahathir also said that talks on the resumption of the HSR project may happen next year, and it might discuss the scaling down of the project.
"We would like to spend less money on this project as it is very expensive. Maybe we have to do some adjustments in order to reduce the cost, and reducing its speed may be part of it.
"It need not necessarily be as fast as 400kmh. If it travels that fast, it might just speed all the way to Alor Setar. So we will look into what is a more suitable speed."
In December 2016, the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration signed a bilateral agreement with Singapore to build a 350km high-speed railway, linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with an estimated cost of RM110 billion (S$36 billion).
When the the Pakatan Harapan coalition took over government after ousting BN last year, it sought to cancel the HSR deal with Singapore.
But the two governments eventually agreed to a two-year deferment to May 31 next year, with Malaysia reimbursing Singapore $15 million to cover the costs of delaying the 350km line. - THE STAR
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