Stalled Malaysia-Singapore metro link gets fresh push as ties thaw post-Mahathir

Resumption of the US$880 million project comes as the countries’ bilateral ties have stabilised under Malaysia’s new prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin

Under the new pact, the RTS link is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026 with a depot in Malaysia, instead of Singapore as originally agreed

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Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a ceremony held on the causeway between the two countries to mark the renewal of an agreement on the Rapid Transit System metro link. Photo: Kenali Johor Jom / Facebook

Published: 1:22pm, 30 Jul 2020Updated: 8:25pm, 30 Jul 2020

Malaysia and Singapore on Thursday signed a fresh agreement to proceed with the stalled construction of a metro link between the two neighbours seen as crucial to easing traffic congestion at one of the world’s busiest border crossings.

The pact was marked with a ceremony attended by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin at the causeway between the countries – the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Resumption of the US$880 million project comes as the countries’ bilateral ties have stabilised with Muhyiddin at the helm in Malaysia, following the March ousting of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir, a two-time prime minister known for his hawkish views of Singapore, ordered the suspension of the 4.4km Rapid Transit System (RTS) pending an internal review following the victory of his Pakatan Harapan alliance in 2018’s general election.

Malaysia’s then-prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, pictured in February shortly before he resigned after his party and some lawmakers abandoned the ruling alliance, sparking its collapse. Photo: AP

Along with the suspension of work on the RTS, work on a US$25 billion high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore was also frozen.

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