TMJ: Malaysia should not scrap HSR project


(The Star) – The Crown Prince of Johor has weighed in on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail (HSR), stating that Malaysia should proceed with the project.

In an exclusive interview, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (pic) told Channel NewsAsia that he viewed the project very positively and in his personal opinion, “we should proceed and continue”.

“I think it’s a very, very positive project that we should continue because it will not only help Johor, but also Singapore. It will boost the economy in Johor, maybe to have more foreign investment coming in,” he said.

The HSR is a 350km-long railway linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and is expected to start operations from 2026.

However, Tunku Ismail said it was “up to the Government” of Malaysia whether or not to proceed with the project.

“There’s nothing I can do because at the end of the day, it’s between the governments,” he added.

In response to a query on how the project may affect Malaysia’s national debt, Tunku Ismail said it was not his call.

“They are the Government … They should judge what is necessary and what’s not. It’s not my place and not my position to know what’s the financial status of the country,” he said.

On his first day as Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng had confirmed Malaysia’s debt was now above RM1 trillion.

The Pakatan Harapan Government has prioritised the reduction of the debt, stating that it will review mega projects initiated by the previous administration to cut federal debt and liabilities.

In late May, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad cited the HSR as an example of unnecessary projects that “we need to do away with”.

However, on June 12, Dr Mahathir told the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo that the project is merely postponed.

Singapore’s transport ministry has said it had yet to receive an official notification that the project had been cancelled.

On Thursday (July 19), Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said Malaysia and Singapore will attempt to meet by the end of this month to discuss the project.

 



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