THE authorities concerned are urged to prioritise the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system within Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and consider a second Rapid Transit System (RTS) connecting Iskandar Puteri region to Singapore in the near future.
The KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project is estimated to cost RM40 billion to RM120 billion that needs a hefty investment from the private sector, and it needs high demand to sustain the operation. It could be planned, discussed more prudently and implemented in stages at a later phase.
Due to the KL-Singapore HSR project having been cancelled unilaterally by Malaysia twice, it would need a longer time and effort to convince the general public and our counterpart Singapore, to commit to the mega-project in the immediate future.
Nonetheless, the HSR project could still be carried out at a later and more cost-efficient stage with more prudent due diligence studies done.
Nonetheless, to enhance the connectivity between Johor-Singapore SEZ, there have been suggestions that the governments could consider a second Rapid Transit System connecting the western part of Singapore to the Iskandar Puteri region for a smoother and more efficient flow of traffic between the two borders.
Another RTS would be less costly and less time consuming, and it could be completed in a much shorter time frame than HSR – besides enhancing SEZ connectivity and stimulate its growth more effectively and quickly.
Of utmost importance, there is also an urgent need to prioritise the proposed light rail system (LRT) system that needs to be established in the shortest time frame in order to connect the Bukit Chagar RTS station to various parts of the SEZ and to meet the demand of dispersing a huge number of commuters in a short period during peak hours at one of the busiest border crossings in the world. – February 5, 2025
Dr. Boo Cheng Hau is former Johor DAP Chairman and currently DAP Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (Skudai) branch publicity secretary. This is an excerpt from a recent speech he presented at a Chinese New Year dinner organised by DAP Kulai.