Malaysia & Singapore Re‑dial the High‑Speed Rail Hunt
It’s not a break-up, just a pause. After the fresh Malaysian cabinet started fearing the cost of the 350‑km track, the two ministers pulled their hats together for a chin‑wag on August 11.
What Went On?
- Malaysia’s side: Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali says he was all about laying out the Malaysian case — “no rush, we’re waiting for a full review.”
- Singapore’s side: Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan agreed to keep the conversation going and pledged to bring it up with the cabinet next.
The Singapore transport team confirmed the talk happened, and they’re planning to keep the dialogue alive over the next few weeks. The Malaysian prime‑minister’s office also said, “Let’s put a hold on the 350‑km dream until we crunch the numbers again.”
Why the Pause?
Remember Tun Mahathir? He originally wanted to ditch the rail because the country’s already drowning in a RM1 trillion debt hole (that’s about S$336 billion to Singapore). Then the stance softened. “We can’t just cancel it now – those December 2016 deal penalties are serious.”
Now Malaysia thinks the project might cost a staggering RM110 billion and was slated to finish by 2026, but they haven’t formally thrown a “let’s postpone” brick over to Singapore yet.
Singapore’s Standpoint
- Singapore has already poured over $250 million into the rail and plans to add another $40 million by year‑end.
- Back on June 1, Singapore asked Malaysia to clear the air in a diplomatic note, hoping a meeting would happen by July 31.
Azmin promises he’ll try to meet the deadline, but he’s busy with Parliament stuff for now. In a July 23 letter to Singapore the Malaysian side said they’re studying the details and will jump back into talks soon.
What This Means for Us
Both sides are still jamming out the speed‑killers. If all goes well, travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore could shut down to just 90 minutes. Keeps the copycat flight plans at bay!
Tomorrow’s real deal will still have a bit of tension – Azmin said he’d tried to meet senior Singapore officials last weekend, but Singapore’s transport ministry says no such meeting has yet taken place. That’s politics for you.
For now, it’s just a lull in the conversation, waiting for the budget‑quizzes to settle and the political chatter to sync up.
