KUALA LUMPUR: Former works minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed has raised questions about the proposal to revive the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project, which was terminated two years ago.
He expressed concerns about the need for the project and the compensation paid to Singapore when it was called off.
"Is it necessary, seeing that the government paid Singapore SGD102 million?" the former minister asked in a statement today.
Mohd Zin had called for the government to explain the need for the HSR and how it would benefit Malaysians, stressing the need to be transparent and honest about the matter.
He believed several factors must be reconsidered before moving forward with the project.
The former minister emphasised the need for a win-win situation for both countries.
Despite the previous termination of the project, there have been recent reports that the government was planning to revive the high-speed rail network.
MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd, owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc), has invited private companies to submit new proposals for the rail project.
The original bilateral agreement between Malaysia and Singapore for the high-speed rail project was signed on Dec 13, 2016.
The project aimed to cut down travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to just 90 minutes over a 350-kilometre route.
However, it faced several delays before being terminated on Jan 1, 2021.