KUALA LUMPUR: The attorneys-general of Singapore and Malaysia are "working towards a supplemental agreement" to suspend the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) project.
Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan confirmed this at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke on Monday (Apr 8) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Advertisement[h=3]READ: Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS link 'not progressing well', Malaysia missed deadlines, says Khaw[/h]He added that both countries will approach the issue in the same way as they did for the suspension of the High-Speed Rail project “with goodwill and reasonable accommodation”.
Mr Khaw also highlighted that the RTS project is “an especially important priority area” given the heavy traffic congestion at the Causeway.
“The RTS Link, when completed, will make a significant difference to commuters’ experience, being able to transport up to 10,000 passengers per direction per hour,” said Mr Khaw.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHe also noted that Malaysia had requested a 6-month suspension of the project, to enable it to review the key parameters.
The Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link, which connects Bukit Chagar to Woodlands, is expected to ferry up to 10,000 passengers an hour each way.
The project was meant to be completed by 2024, but is now behind schedule with Malaysia repeatedly delaying confirmation of its joint venture partner.
According to a bilateral agreement signed in January 2018, a joint venture company comprising Singapore’s SMRT and Malaysia’s Prasarana Malaysia should have been constituted by Jun 30 last year.
The joint venture company should also have been appointed as the RTS Link operator through a concession agreement with Singapore's Land Transport Authority and the government of Malaysia by Sep 30, 2018.
Both milestones were missed.
Under the bilateral agreement, if the joint venture company has not been incorporated or appointed as the RTS link operator, then both countries are obliged to jointly call a fair, international and transparent open tender to appoint an operator - unless both governments mutually agree to postpone these deadlines.
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