Malaysia Prime Minister Visit Singapore
Sunday, 19th September 2010
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made a two-day working visit to Singapore. Mr Najib was accompanied by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Menteri Besar of Johor Abdul Ghani Othman. During the meeting, Prime Minister Najib and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong settled a land swap agreement for four land parcels in Marina South and two land parcels in the Ophir-Rochor area. And put the issue of development charges payable on the three parcels of Malaysian land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji and Woodlands for the Permanent Court of Arbitration to settle. This breaking the 20-year-old deadlock on the 1990 POA.
Both leaders agreed on the issue of relocation of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station: KTM would move out of the station and relocate to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint (WTCP) by 1 July 2011. Malaysia would also set up a customs, immigration and quarantine facility at Woodlands. Singapore would facilitate the relocation to the WTCP and ensure connectivity from the KTMB Station at WTCP to a nearby Mass Rapid Transit Station. The passenger terminal building would be conserved given its historical significance and would be a centerpiece for the new proposed development on the site and in addition, the old Bukit Timah Railway Station building at Blackmore Drive be conserved.
On the future of the railway link between Malaysia and Singapore: A rapid transit system link between Tanjung Puteri, Johor Bahru and Singapore aimed at enhancing connectivity between the two countries would be jointly developed. The rapid transit system link will be integrated with public transport services in both Johor Bahru and Singapore. For the convenience of commuters, the rapid transit system link would have an integrated Malaysian and Singaporean customs, immigration and quarantine facility located in Singapore with the exact location to be determined later. The proposed rapid transit system link would be targeted to be operational by 2018. Thereafter Malaysia might consider relocating the KTM station from Woodlands to Johor.
On the issue of railway land after relocation: M-S Pte Ltd would be established not later than 31 December 2010 with Malaysia’s 60% held by Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Singapore’s 40% held by Temasek Holdings Limited. The company would be vested with three parcels of land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji and Woodlands, and an additional three parcels of land in Bukit Timah (Lot 76-2 Mk 16, Lot 249 Mk 4 and Lot 32-10 Mk 16) for the joint development of the said parcels. The parcels can be swapped for land of similar value in the Marina South or Ophir-Rochor areas in Singapore. The transfer of the land parcels to M-S Pte Ltd would take effect at the time when KTM vacates Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.