JB-SG RTS link delayed after land transferred to Johor sultan, says source

Mohd Farhan Darwis Mohd Farhan Darwis Updated 7 years ago · Published on 3 May 2019 3:32PM · 12 Comments

The Rapid Transit System Link between Johor Baru and Singapore has been delayed after it was found out that land meant for the project has been transferred to the Johor sultan. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, May 3, 2019.

LAND meant for the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) between Johor Baru and Singapore has been transferred to the Johor sultan, a state government source said.

The RTS which is currently under review by the Pakatan Harapan government might face delays as a result of this.

The source told The Malaysian Insight that the land transfer was discovered in minutes on a report on the land’s status. The 4.5ha plot is located at Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru.

“The land was planned for use as site of the RTS link but because of this issue, it will delay the process of building the RTS between Johor and Singapore,” the source said.

The biggest problem will be cost as the federal government will have to incur additional spending on land acquisition, the source said.

Another government officer at the federal level confirmed the land transfer to Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar with The Malaysian Insight.

The second source said the transfer took place between 2017 and 2018 and the land was previously owned by the federal government.

Documents shown to The Malaysian Insight on the land’s status stated that the transfer to the Johor Sultan was made on January 28 this year by the director-general of the Johor Land and Mines Office.

Johor Menteri Besar Sahruddin Jamal was in Kuala Lumpur today to meet with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad but declined to answer reporters’ questions about the matter.

The 4.2km RTS was meant to provide seamless connectivity between Johor Baru and Singapore’s Woodlands by transporting 72,000 passengers a day and shorten clearance time at the Customs and Immigration checkpoint.

The RM4 billion project would have involved an above-ground track, a bridge across the Johor Straits and a tunnel underground to connect at Woodlands.

In early April after the 9th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia was reviewing the project for more affordable and sustainable alternatives, while Singapore was willing to consider suspension of the project.

Following the leak of the documents on the RTS land, The Malaysian Insight is seeking further details from Transport Minister Anthony Loke and the Johor Land and Mines Office. – May 3, 2019.

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Comments

  • Hmm.. interesting...

    Posted 7 years ago by Z Azmyl · Reply

  • Now more and more of the shenanigens exposed.!!!!

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Hmmm...

    Posted 7 years ago by [email protected] · Reply

  • Come on
    Spill the beans

    Posted 7 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply

  • Patut lar....

    Posted 7 years ago by Chean Ang Heng · Reply

  • I am sure the Sultan is willing to transfer the land back to the state government. The land once developed is good for the Johor people.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • His majesty is such a clever investor!

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • No end of land grabbing by the royalty of Johor. This is how they get very very rich

    Posted 7 years ago by Dato Radha · Reply

  • How could Federal Government land get transferred to the Sultan of Johor? Was the transfer above board? Full details should be given to the public, as government land is public land.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • More and more truth are revealing day after day. OMG

    Posted 7 years ago by DAVID MOK · Reply

  • This would involve the Johor Land & Mines Office, the former MB of Johor. Obviously the Federal Government-Minister of Transport was not kept in the loop! And is not aware..
    Total abuse & corruption at work!! The perpetrators must be charged in all the courts!

    Posted 7 years ago by Kampung Boy · Reply

  • Ooh. Johoreans are well taken care by your rulers. At least some of u can buy things free in supermarket once. Federal buying back the land means using money from all Malaysian tax payers, that's not very fair. Luckily we dont see this in other states yet.

    Posted 7 years ago by James Wong · Reply