Cancelled HSR a missed opportunity to unite nations, says S'pore opposition leader

Free Malaysia Today

5 hours ago

Singapore opposition leader Pritam Singh said the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project had the potential to transform the way Malaysians and Singaporeans connect. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh said today the cancelled Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project was a missed opportunity to strengthen ties between both countries.
Speaking on the 'Keluar Sekejap' podcast hosted by Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, Pritam said the 350km rail line had the potential to transform the way Malaysians and Singaporeans connect.
'I think what would have been the cherry on the cake was the high-speed rail. It would have brought real changes.
'High-speed rail changes a lot of things; distances become so much shorter. It's a pity that it was shelved,' he said.
The HSR, which would have cut travel time between KL and Singapore to 90 minutes, was cancelled in 2021 after both sides failed to agree on proposed changes.
However, both governments have recently signalled a willingness to revisit the project.
During the leaders' retreat in January, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Putrajaya was open to reviving the HSR if it was fully funded by the private sector, while his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong said his government was open to listening to new proposals.
Beyond infrastructure, Pritam urged Singaporeans to engage more deeply with Malaysia, suggesting student exchanges with Malaysian universities instead of favouring the US or UK.
The Workers' Party secretary-general said Malaysia and Singapore were closely connected and should focus on practical cooperation.
'We are conjoined at the hip. A successful Malaysia benefits Singapore. We need more interaction, not less,' he said.
Asked about public attitudes, Pritam said some Singaporeans might come across as unfriendly, but most of them valued Malaysia.
'You go and speak to a Singaporean on the street and ask, 'Do you like going to Johor Bahru?' Of course they do, even if it's just for a short trip,' he said.