Mere hours after conflicting reports on a supposed conclusion to the High Speed Rail (HSR) saga between Singapore and Malaysia was reported, Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has come out with an official response.

MOT said in a statement to the media:

"Malaysia and Singapore are currently in discussions on Malaysia’s request to defer the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail Project.

We hope to reach a mutually acceptable outcome soon."

Earlier report suggested agreement reached

This contradicts the story ran by The Edge, a leading publication in Malaysia earlier on Sept. 3.

Citing "sources", The Edge reported that the project would be deferred for two years.

It said that an agreement was reached in a "spirit of good neighbourliness", with no financial penalty to be imposed upon Malaysia.

This was apparently because Singapore "recognises the strain" that this would place on Malaysia's finances.

Both The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao reported off The Edge's initial report.

Malaysian Minister: Deferment without penalty

Malaysia's Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali also appeared to confirm the report on Sept. 3.

Speaking in Malay to Malaysian media in Selangor, at the sidelines of the 14th Selangor State Assembly, Azmin said:

"After a series of discussions, the Singapore government is in agreement with Malaysia to put the HSR project on hold for a period of time."

Channel NewsAsia and Today ran reports based off Azmin's comment that the HSR would be put on hold and that Singapore and Malaysia both agreed to this arrangement.

Azmin added that he met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss the matter, and claimed that PM Lee was "happy that both countries are in agreement".

Azmin further claimed that Malaysia would not need to pay compensation during this period of deferment, as it is only required to do so if it decides to scrap the project entirely.

You can watch a video from The Star Online of Azmin's remarks below:

MOT has a different say

While the official response from MOT did not contradict Azmin's statements, it showed that more time is needed for the talks to be conclusive.

MOT said both countries are still working on reaching a mutually-acceptable outcome soon.

This is not the first time that the MOT has had to refute claims made by Azmin.

Previously, Azmin claimed that he met with senior Singapore officials on Aug. 5 to discuss the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail.

However, MOT refuted this on Aug. 6, saying that no meeting regarding the HSR had taken place, nor had a date been set for discussion about the project.

On Aug. 7, Azmin backtracked while speaking to Malaysian reporters, saying:

"They (i.e. MOT) were right. When I mentioned to you (reporters) yesterday, did I say I met the officials from MOT (from Singapore)?"

Previously, after having met with Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan, Azmin tweeted on Aug. 30 that both parties were "inching towards a win-win deal on HSR".

For Singaporeans, it is unclear whether putting the HSR on hold and not needing to pay compensation can be perceived as a win-win deal for Singapore.

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Top image from Azmin Ali's Facebook page