ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 20 — The Johor government has made an urgent call for Putrajaya to expedite approval of its proposed public rail transport system to prevent a looming congestion crisis when the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link begins operation in 2027.

State Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the state is open to either an Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) or Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, but stressed that a decision must be made and implementation must begin no later than early next year.

With the RTS Link expected to transport up to 10,000 passengers per hour, Mohamad Fazli warned that a local public transport network is critical to manage the massive passenger volume.

He added that the call for urgency is in line with a decree from Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail.

“The state government also upholds the Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail’s decree which stressed the urgent need for such a project to be expedited,” he told reporters after the winding-up address at the Johor state legislative assembly in Kota Iskandar here today.

He then made a pointed comparison to Penang's recently approved LRT project, asking how this was approved ahead of either of Johor’s proposals.

Both LRT and ART proposals have been discussed for Johor, but the federal government has yet to issue any final decision or tender, raising concerns about potential congestion in the Bukit Chagar area once cross-border travel surges.

The RTS Link is a 4km light rail transit shuttle service connecting the Bukit Chagar station to Singapore’s Woodlands North station.