NAJIB Razak was not present at a meeting on the high-speed rail (HSR) project between Malaysian and Singaporean leaders, said Wee Ka Siong.

Only “Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and I” were present during the meet, the transport minister told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said Ismail and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong held a private discussion on the project afterwards.

Wee was responding to R.S.N. Rayer (Jelutong-PH), who asked whether Najib attended the meet in Singapore.

The former prime minister was speculated to be at the meeting after viral photos shared in messaging groups show him at a meet, allegedly in Singapore.

Although found guilty of graft involving SRC International funds, Najib remains a popular political figure and is still influential in Umno.

His appeal against his conviction and sentence is to be decided by the Court of Appeal on December 8.

Wee, who is Ayer Hitam MP, was presenting his ministry’s reply to debates on the Supply Bill 2022 (committee stage) in Parliament today.

He said Singapore is open to resuming discussions with Malaysia on the HSR project, which links the republic to Kuala Lumpur.

The prime minister will brief the cabinet on the matter at its weekly meeting this Friday, he added.

“We have not set any time frame on HSR talks. There has been only one official statement from both prime ministers.”

He was referring to the joint statement by Ismail and Lee that both countries are willing to revisit the project, which was terminated by the Perikatan Nasional government under Muhyiddin Yassin earlier this year.

Malaysia had to pay Singapore RM320 million in compensation due to the termination, as part of its obligations under the bilateral agreement.

Parliament has approved budgets for the Transport Ministry (RM5.58 billion) and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (RM907 million) for next year. – December 1, 2021.