KUALA LUMPUR: The cabinet will decide on reviving the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project by the end of the month or early next month.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke however said the policy paper on the project, which aims to cut the travel time between the two cities to 90 minutes, would not determine if the project would actually be revived.
He said the government would still need to restart discussions with Singapore as the HSR was a cross-border project.
"Just to manage (the public's) expectations, it (cabinet approval) is not the final say on the project, but rather a question of where we go from here," Loke told NST in an interview.
"It is a cross-border project, and can only be finalised and take off after negotiations with the Singapore government."
The HSR project was formally agreed between Malaysia and Singapore in Feb 2013 and was expected to be completed in 2026.
The 350km line was to include stations In KL, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor.
Following the change of government in 2018, Putrajaya announced the project would be reviewed due to concerns over the cost and financial implications to the country.
Work on the project was suspended in Sept 2018 and in 2021, the project was terminated after both governments failed to agree on changes sought by Malaysia.
Malaysia had to pay Singapore S$102.8 million as compensation for costs incurred.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government was open to reviving the project if the costs could be lowered.
Meanwhile, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has also said the island republic is open to proposals on the HSR.