PUTRAJAYA: Discussions over the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project with the Singapore government will only take place after obtaining cabinet approval, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said the ministry is waiting to present the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim first for his approval before tabling the issue in cabinet.
"As of now, the HSR proposal is still at the Transport Ministry level. We are awaiting the prime minister's approval first, after which it will be presented to the cabinet.
"I informed the Singapore Transport Minister (Chee Hong Tat) that there are ongoing discussions on our side. We will have official discussions after receiving cabinet approval," he told reporters in a press conference after chairing the National Logistic Task Force meeting today.
Asked about the essence of the discussion with Singapore transport minister, Loke said they discussed connectivity between the two countries and ongoing discussions regarding airspace.
"Malaysia's major concern and issue is improving airspace efficiency between the Peninsula and Sabah, Sarawak.
"There are many discussions about airspace and how we can increase capacity for both countries in terms of airspace management. We aim to make airspace more efficient."
In January, NST reported that seven local and international consortia, comprising three firms have submitted the RFI concept proposal for the HSR project.
MyHSR launched the RFI in July 2023 as the government explored reactivating the project to construct a 350-km dedicated high-speed line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which was canceled in 2021, under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
It was reported that the rail project would allow a shorter travel time of 90 minutes between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
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This will include seven stations in Malaysia, namely, Bandar Malaysia, Sepang-Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri; as well as Jurong East in Singapore.