MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE SIGN ADDITIONAL AGREEMENT FOR RTS LINK

From Hasnah Jusid

SINGAPORE, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Singapore today inked an additional agreement for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, finalising the arrangement for co-located immigration facilities under the project.

The supplementary deal was signed by Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore's Acting Transport Minister and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Singapore counterpart, Lawrence Wong, witnessed the event during the 12th Malaysia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Retreat here.

Earlier, Loke clarified that co-location refers to Malaysian and Singaporean immigration officers operating within the same building or complex, allowing travellers to clear both countries’ immigration checks at a single point.

The RTS Link, connecting Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore, is on track for completion by Dec 31, 2026, with operations set to begin in January 2027.

Asked about details of the four-eyed meeting with Wong, Anwar said he and his Singaporean counterpart also discussed the issue of congestion at the border crossing that needs to be addressed immediately.

Anwar added that they also spoke about improving the cross-border taxi scheme to enhance convenience for travellers.

Other topics discussed with Singapore included the Batu Putih issue and several maritime matters that have yet to be decisively resolved.

Anwar said Malaysia and Singapore are seeking the best solution to resolve the dispute, but it involves aspects of national sovereignty and is more complex compared to other issues.

He added that bilateral cooperation in energy transition and the import of energy, especially from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, also showed significant progress.

"This cooperation has been clearly forged. Efforts are being initiated so that Sarawak can export energy easily, while ensuring the energy needs in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore are met,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) has also been instructed to expedite this collaboration.

The annual leaders’ retreat, hosted alternately by Malaysia and Singapore, serves as the highest-level platform for both sides to review bilateral relations, discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest and explore new avenues to deepen the partnership between the neighbours.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement by Anwar and Wong, both leaders noted positive momentum in ongoing discussions on cross-border green electricity trading, and welcomed a series of landmark developments achieved in October.

They highlighted the Conditional Approval issued on Oct 17, 2025, by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) to Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, working in partnership with Sarawak Energy Berhad, for the import of 1GW of low-carbon electricity from Sarawak to Singapore. 

The leaders also noted the Joint Development Agreement, signed on the same day by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), SP Group and Singapore Energy Interconnections, to undertake a full feasibility study for a second power interconnection between Malaysia and Singapore.

Once completed, the second interconnector will expand cross-border electricity trade capacity and enhance energy resilience, enabling both countries to provide mutual support during periods of system instability.

According to the statement, these initiatives have the potential to advance the region’s long-term goal of realising the ASEAN Power Grid, which seeks to transition from bilateral power exchanges to multilateral trade across multiple regional routes. 

The leaders also reviewed economic developments within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). As of October this year, Singapore-based companies have committed over S$5.5 billion (RM17.97 billion) in investments in the JS-SEZ. 

-- BERNAMA