SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore on Thursday (Dec 4) inked an additional agreement for the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, finalising the arrangement for co-located immigration facilities under the project.
The supplementary deal was signed by Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore's Acting Transport Minister and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Singapore counterpart, Lawrence Wong, witnessed the event during the 12th Malaysia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Retreat here.
Earlier, Loke clarified that co-location refers to Malaysian and Singaporean immigration officers operating within the same building or complex, allowing travellers to clear both countries’ immigration checks at a single point.
The RTS Link, connecting Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru and Woodlands North in Singapore, is on track for completion by Dec 31, 2026, with operations set to begin in January 2027.
Asked about details of the four-eyed meeting with Wong, Anwar said he and his Singaporean counterpart also discussed the issue of congestion at the border crossing that needs to be addressed immediately.
Anwar added that they also spoke about improving the cross-border taxi scheme to enhance convenience for travellers.
Other topics discussed with Singapore included the Batu Putih issue and several maritime matters that have yet to be decisively resolved.
Anwar said Malaysia and Singapore are seeking the best solution to resolve the dispute, but it involves aspects of national sovereignty and is more complex compared to other issues.
He added that bilateral cooperation in energy transition and the import of energy, especially from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, also showed significant progress.
"This cooperation has been clearly forged. Efforts are being initiated so that Sarawak can export energy easily, while ensuring the energy needs in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore are met,” he said.
He said the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry has also been instructed to expedite this collaboration.
The annual leaders’ retreat, hosted alternately by Malaysia and Singapore, serves as the highest-level platform for both sides to review bilateral relations, discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest and explore new avenues to deepen the partnership between the neighbours.- Bernama
