Malaysia should not drop the HSR project: Johor Crown Prince

He says the project is a "very, very positive" one.

Kayla Wong | July 19, 2018, 05:40 PM

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said Malaysia should not withdraw from the Singapore-KL High Speed Rail (HSR) project.

Project is a "positive" one

He told Channel NewsAsia on Thursday, July 19, that the project is a "very, very positive" one and they should continue as it will "not only help Johor but also Singapore".

He said:

"It will boost the economy in Johor, maybe to have more foreign investment coming in."

However, he added that only the Malaysian government can decided whether to proceed with the project or not.

M'sia wants to delay project instead of scrapping it

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad recently told CNA that the HSR project is likely to be postponed to a later date.

His comment came a few days after his Economic Affairs Minister Mohamad Azmin Ali told the media the fate of the HSR project is uncertain.

Mahathir had previously told the media that he wanted to drop the HSR project as it is too costly for Malaysia to bear -- he said the country currently faces a national debt of around RM1 trillion (~S$337 billion).

A Malaysian representative will be here in Singapore by the end of July to discuss the fate of the HSR project.

[related_story]

Meanwhile, Malaysia's delay in issuing an official reply regarding the project could mean more compensation for Singapore due to the additional costs incurred should they reverse their decision yet again and ultimately decide to cancel the project.

Top image via

Some related stories you might be interested in: