In January 2019, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan replied to a question in parliament that the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) is "behind schedule".

The project was supposed to start this year and was scheduled to be completed by December 2024.

But the completion date is no longer on track.

A month ago (April 1), the Malaysian government asked for six more months to study how the cost of RTS can be reduced.

Fortunately, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

On May 4, the Sultan of Johor released a statement regarding the RTS.

Sultan of Johor disappointed

According to the statement, the Sultan is disappointed to know of a news report relating the issue of the rising cost of the RTS project with a piece of land in Bukit Chagar which belongs to him.

However, it was mentioned that he wasn't informed that the particular land would be involved in the project.

Letting go of land at no cost

As a result, the Sultan is willing to let go of the land at no cost.

There's one condition though: the RTS project has to be continued immediately.

The statement noted that the Sultan "understands the sufferings of the people who travel into Singapore on a daily basis".

Government willing to buy back land

In previous media reports, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has mentioned that the government will demand back for the land.

However, he also said that the government is willing to buy back the land from the Sultan if he had already paid for it.

Translation of Sultan's statement

Here's a translation of the statement:

"The Sultan is disappointed to know of a news report relating the issue of the rising cost of the RTS project with a piece of His Majesty's land in Bukit Chagar.

To date, His Majesty was not informed that the land owned by His Majesty would be involved in the RTS project.

However, His Majesty has said that if his plot of land is truly involved in the RTS project, then he will hand over the land to the government at no cost.

On condition that the RTS project has to go on immediately as His Majesty understands the sufferings of the people who travel into Singapore on a daily basis.

As has always been stressed, the interests of the rakyat and government will always be His Majesty's priority and each issue has to be discussed until a consensus has been reached."

Top image from Mahathir Mohamad's Facebookpage and Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's Facebook page