MALAYSIA is expected to receive the compensation claim from Singapore for the terminated Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (KL-Singapore HSR) project in the next few weeks.
According to MyHSR Corp Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Mohd Nur Ismail Mohamed Kamal, the claim will still need to be verified and agreed upon by the two countries before the next step.
“Once (the claim) has been submitted, we will o our due diligence to ensure that (the amount) is reasonable and can be verified,” he said at a media briefing yesterday.
Earlier this week, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said that the compensation amount is expected to be lower than S$270 mil (approx. RM820.76 mil).
Mohd Nur Ismal explained that the compensation is not a fine, but it is meant to reimburse Singapore on what they had already spent but could not reuse.
He added that the Government has not made a decision to commit on any other project as of yet, including the widely-speculated KL-Johor Bahru line.
However, he mentioned that a thorough study will be conducted soon to discuss replacement for the KL-Singapore HSR project and it is expected to conclude within six months, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done.
Meanwhile, MyHSR Corp chairman Tan Sri Esa Mohamed said that Malaysia will look into other options to enhance the connectivity between the two countries in the future, which may be under a new agreement. – Jan 9, 2021
