Recent Malaysian media reports quoting Johor State Executive Committee Member for Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni bin Haji Mohammad said Singapore is holding back on deciding the alignment options for the Rapid Transit System (RTS) link and that the RTS terminal in Johor Bahru would be in Bukit Chagar.
In response, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued a statement on 23 September saying, “Singapore has not received official confirmation from Malaysia on the location of the RTS terminus in Johor Bahru. We look forward to Malaysia’s confirmation when the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM) meets next month, so that the project may proceed on time to the next phase of its study, as previously agreed by both sides.”
Confirmation of the location of the Johor Bahru (JB) RTS station is required before both countries can finalise the alignment of the crossing between JB and Singapore.
In June 2011, Singapore informed Malaysia the RTS terminus in the city-state would be located at Woodlands North near Republic Polytechnic (RP).
Earlier media reports stated the RTS is part of the land swap deal which saw Singapore obtaining six Marina South and Ophir-Rochor land parcels formerly owned by the Malayan Railway for 20 years. In exchange, Malaysia received land sites in Bukit Timah, Kranji, Woodlands and Tanjong Pagar.
The RTS link is set to be completed by 2018.
Besides RP, several industrial areas are located in Woodlands North, and the Woodlands North MRT on the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line will be ready in years to come.
Image by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
