KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — The Malaysian government is set to make a decision on the revival of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project by the end of December or early January, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
However, Loke cautioned that the upcoming policy paper on the project, which aims to reduce travel time between the two cities to just 90 minutes, will not be the final verdict on whether the HSR will be reinstated.
He clarified that the decision will not conclude the matter but will instead set the direction for future discussions.
“Approval from the Cabinet is not the final word on the project,” Loke said in an interview with New Straits Times published today.
“This is a cross-border initiative, and it can only move forward after we engage in discussions with the Singapore government.”
The HSR project, first agreed upon by Malaysia and Singapore in February 2013, was initially slated for completion by 2026.
The 350km rail line was designed to link key stations in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor.
However, after a change in government in 2018, the project faced scrutiny over its high costs and financial impact.
Work was paused in September 2018, and in 2021, the project was formally terminated after both countries failed to reach an agreement on proposed changes.
Malaysia was required to compensate Singapore S$102.8 million (RM340.6 million) for incurred costs.
Despite the setbacks, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has previously stated that the government is open to revisiting the HSR project if costs can be reduced.
Similarly, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has expressed the island nation’s willingness to consider new proposals related to the HSR.
