KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — The planned KL-Singapore high-speed rail
link could become a model to spur greater connectivity among all ASEAN
neighbours should the multibillion ringgit project achieve its 2020 deadline
without major hiccups, politically-motivated or otherwise, Singapore’s The
Straits Times (ST) said today.
In an editorial, the English
daily noted concerns that the project may face momentary delays due to
political interferences, but reminded that the endeavour could only improve
bilateral ties and generate greater potential for citizens in both nations.
“If the project is managed well,
the spin-off benefits of a completed rail link would be felt in many areas
besides trade, investment, services, tourism and leisure,” the paper wrote.
“Indeed, a smooth journey in
meeting the completion deadline of 2020 might help establish this project as a
prototype for greater connectivity in ASEAN as a whole.”
Mass usage of the rail link, the
paper added, could well be a “game-changer” for both Malaysia and Singapore, on
top of improved government-to-government co-operation.
With an estimated 90-minute time
travel between the two countries, a significant difference from the present
eight-hour average by train or five hours by bus, the two regional neighbours
could emerge as a “single urban eco-system” with commuters riding the rail
daily for work or leisure.
“It’s the way people in London
and Paris are able to think of it, really as twin cities where you can commute,
go up there, do business, meet friends, have a meal and come back all within
maybe two- thirds of the day,” Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was
reported as saying when the rail link was announced on Wednesday.
“And I think it is going to be a
game changer. It will transform the way people interact, the intensity of our
co-operation and the degree to which we become interdependent on each other and
therefore have stakes on each other’s success,” he added.
ST said, however, that the
momentum must be sustained by sticking to the timetable, formulating a
reasonable budget and establishing a sound business model for the mega-project.
“... the journey towards full
realisation of the project might be tested by differences and obstacles,” the
paper pointed out.
“There is already some concern
that nativist political voices in Malaysia could try to hold the project
hostage to their political agenda,” it warned.
Malaysia and Singapore agreed on
Wednesday to build a high-speed rail link to connect Kuala Lumpur with the
neighbouring city state and set 2020 as the estimated deadline for completion,
bolstering already improved economic ties between the two nations.
When announcing the link with his
Singaporean counterpart Lee, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had
reportedly revealed that the project would be built via public-private
partnership “with strong government participation”.
Malaysia, he added, will provide
the infrastructure support for the rail link.
“We will certainly do our level
best to meet the 2020 deadline. It may go slightly beyond that, but those are
details in implementation,” Najib was reported as saying at the announcement in
Singapore.
ST said the nature of this
public-private partnership, as well as how the project could attract potential
investments, and issues of safety, reliability and ecological soundness must be
outlined properly to ensure a smooth journey towards meeting the 2020 deadline.
Since Najib took office in 2009,
the first-term prime minister has been actively collaborating with Lee’s
Singapore administration to iron out protracted disputes between both nations
in hopes of shelving bitter rivalries and bolster economic co-operation.
ST noted that the high-speed rail
link adds another feather to this cap, providing yet another basis for further
win-win initiatives.
CLARA CHOOI
Business & Investment Opportunities
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