SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore today signed a bilateral agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) link, eight years after the idea was first mooted.
The agreement was signed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abd Rahman Dahlan, who represented Malaysia, and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan, on behalf of Singapore.
The agreement was signed at the end of the 8th Malaysia - Singapore Leaders' Retreat at the Istana here.
It was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.
Lee, in his remark, said the RTS project is an important long term cross border project that will benefit thousands of daily commuters and reduce congestion at the Causeway, when it is completed in 2024.
"The RTS Link will also replace the KTM Bhd shuttle service to Woodlands when it becomes operational but in the meantime, we will increase the shuttle service," said Lee.
Lee said the RTS is an ambitious and complicated project.
"Like all projects that involved more than one government and spans more than one term of government, it requires a long term commitment that have been formalised in an agreement that we signed today.
"It is a binding agreement and whoever the government is on either side, it is an agreement that they inherit and are party to and if there are any new ideas, it is something that will be dealt with.
“I have no doubt on the Singapore side, we have every intention to implement what we have signed," said Lee.
Najib said he looks forward to the RTS project as it would provide a seamless connectivity between the two countries.
"While we wait for the project, we have to look at the current congestion at the Causeway because there are reports today of massive congestion during peak hours and especially during the festive season and school holidays where people from both sides need to wait for three to four hours.
"There are several proposals that we are looking at to resolve the problem and one of them is to review the toll at the Second Link to attract more people to use that checkpoint. This is something that we will take back and communicate with each other and hopefully, we can come to a decision as soon as possible," said Najib.
The RTS, which was announced by the Malaysian and Singaporean governments in 2010, is expected to accommodate up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction between its terminus stations at Bukit Chagar and Woodlands.
On the Singapore side, the rail link will join the republic's Mass Rapid Transit at its upcoming Thomson East Coast Line (TEL), which will open in phases from 2019 to 2024.
The two governments also a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of education.
The MoU was signed by Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Singapore's Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng.