HSR project can continue as long as it's not funded by govt, says Loke

Malaysia is open to proposals to revive the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project as long as it is not funded by the government, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had mentioned before, the government welcomed any proposal from the private sector to continue the mega project.

"We are not stopping it. The prime minister has given me instructions that we can talk about it. 

"We are open to any proposals from the private sector as long as it is not funded by the government," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Loke said the government had yet to receive any specific or complete proposals from the private sector and that there was no timeline to complete the project because the agreement had been cancelled by the previous administration led by Muhyiddin Yassin.

"There is no urgency in terms of reaching any milestone so right now, we are open to a complete new funding mechanism and implementation," he said.
 
On Jan 1, 2021, Malaysia and Singapore announced the termination of the HSR project as both countries had failed to reach an agreement on the changes proposed by Malaysia before the project agreement lapsed on Dec 31, 2020.

Asked about the Carey Island port proposal, Loke said the Port Klang Authority had conducted a feasibility study on it and a Cabinet paper would be prepared soon. 

There are private sectors that are interested in developing the port but now it is still at the preliminary stage, he said.