Tg Pagar railway land was leased to KTM

ALLEGATIONS that Malaysia sold its railway land in Tanjung Pagar to Singapore are not true, the Dewan was told.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem said the KTM Bhd’s land in the republic was leased to the Federated Malay States by the Straits Settlement government for rail services on Oct 25, 1918.

“The Singapore Railway land leased was 434.26 acres (173.7ha). Out of this, 352.52 acres (141ha) was to be held by the Federal Land Commissioner for a period of 999 years while 81.74 acres (32.7ha) for perpetuity.

“If the land was no longer to be used for rail services, it has to be returned to the respective straits settlement (Singapore) without any compensation whatsoever. As such, such allegations are not true because the land is not ours,” he told Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian).

He also said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was scheduled to make a working visit to Singapore within the next three months to finalise details on the agreement reached between the two countries on the land.

Najib and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong reached an agreement to resolve outstanding issues during the former’s visit to the city state in May.

Lee made a reciprocal visit to Kuala Lumpur recently to discuss further the “points of agreement” between the two countries on the land, among other things.

Salahuddin had asked why the Government did not adopt a smart approach in negotiating with neighbouring countries.

On Datuk Mohamad Aziz’s (BN-Sri Gading) question on whether the Government would include in its negotiations the proposal for a second bridge following the call by the Sultan of Johor on Saturday, Riot said the ministry would take note of the Ruler’s request.