SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore are committed to concluding the agreement on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project by April this year, said the former’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Friday (Jan 10).
In a Facebook post, Mr Loke said he had “paid a visit” to his Singapore counterpart Khaw Boon Wan, during which they “discussed the progress on the RTS project between JB and Woodlands”.
“It was a fruitful discussion and both of us are committed to concluding the agreement by April this year,” he added.
There had been uncertainty over the RTS Link project in the wake of the 2018 Malaysian general election, as the new government reviewed agreements signed by the previous administration.
The RTS aims to connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore, serving 10,000 passengers per hour each way and helping to address the traffic congestion on the Causeway.
It was meant to be completed in 2024, but is now behind schedule.
READ: “Good progress” being made on RTS, Malaysia needs time to “review some details” – Vivian Balakrishnan
In November last year, Malaysia suspended the RTS Link project for the third time to ensure that all the relevant agreements could be amended and signed.
Mr Loke had called the suspension, which was to end in April 2020, the “implementation phase”.
The suspension followed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement that the country had agreed to proceed with the construction of the RTS Link, but with a 36 per cent cost cut.
Mr Khaw also wrote on Facebook on Friday, saying that he had met Mr Loke and wished him happy Chinese New Year and “further progress on bilateral transport cooperation”.
