M'sia and S'pore to sign agreements on RTS project on July 30, says Dr Wee

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong will witness the signing of agreements on July 30 for the development of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project between Johor Baru and Singapore.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong made the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday (July 21) after informing lawmakers that both nations had succeeded in reaching an agreement following recent negotiations on the project.

"I am happy to announce to the House that negotiations for the bilateral agreement, the concession agreement and the co-op joint venture agreement have concluded.

"The signing of the agreements will be held at a ceremony in Tambak, Johor on July 30 which will be witnessed by the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore," Dr Wee said when replying to a question raised by Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PH-Johor Baru) in Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (July 21).

Dr Wee told lawmakers that construction of the RTS will be carried out immediately once the necessary approvals are in order.

"Work on the RTS is scheduled to begin in January next year and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026," he said.

He added that the project will be carried out in two phases involving the construction phases between 2021 and 2024 and the system testing phase between 2025 and 2026.

Dr Wee said the project will help create jobs for locals as well as spur economic growth in the surrounding Bukit Chagar area.

He assured considerations had also been given to ensure that the RTS would be affordable to commuters.

The RTS project will cover 4km of rail linking Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore, with the capacity to ferry 10,000 passengers per hour.

The cost of the project is estimated at RM3.16bil.