Proceed with JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System, Malaysian govt urged

Proceed with JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System, Malaysian govt urged

After delaying the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) five times, a group now wants the government to proceed with the project without further ado.

The RTS Monitoring Group said the project was important for the cross-border movement of people with an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 commuters using the Johor-Singapore Causeway daily.

Its representative Dr Tee Ching Seng (pic) said the Pakatan Harapan government had delayed the project five times since it took over the country's administration, compromising the interest of the people.

"The deadline for the (suspension of the) project (with Singapore) is Sept 30. If this beneficial project ends up getting cancelled, the government will have to compensate Singapore S$67 million.

"As it is, RM1.8mil (S$596,330) has already been paid to Singapore due to the delay. We urge the government to carry on with the RTS project.

"The people count in this project, which can effectively resolve the traffic congestion at the Causeway and improve quality of life, especially for those who have to commute daily," he said here yesterday.

The agreement for the RTS project, which covers 4km of rail between Bukit Chagar, Johor Baru and Woodlands, Singapore, was signed between Malaysia and Singapore on Jan 16 last year and slated for completion by Dec 31, 2024.

However, in May, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that a six-month study would be carried out on the project to determine if this was indeed beneficial.

On May 21, Malaysia and Singapore signed a supplemental agreement to suspend the project until Sept 30.

~Asia One~