JUNE 3 — So, it looks like I will not be able to realise my dream of getting a good Singapore kopi in the morning, lunch in Muar (otak otak), afternoon tea at the KL’s Majestic Hotel and dinner back in my Singapore flat.

This week Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced the formal cancellation of the Singapore-KL high speed rail project. The rail link which was scheduled to be completed in 2026 would have seen bullet-like trains whisk passengers between the two cities in 90 minutes.

The current road journey time is five hours on average and flights can also take at least three hours if you include boarding, immigration and other formalities.

Tun M and other Malaysian government officials cited high costs as the reason for the termination. Malaysia’s new administration has stated the national debt is now 1 trillion ringgit — S$250 billion — or over 70 per cent of GDP.

The government’s priority, therefore, is to rationalise expenses and stabilise the debt which means expensive infrastructure projects (typically approved by the profligate previous government) are now being re-evaluated.

This seems like a sensible policy; the cost of the HSR alone was estimated at over S$20 billion and you also have to factor long term maintenance and operating costs.

However, I’m not entirely convinced by the manner in which the cancellation was announced. Just days after the new government was sworn in and effectively by a prime ministerial decree.

Was there enough time to evaluate the costs and benefits of the project? Surely there could have been a bit more consultation between the governments — years were spent negotiating the previous HSR deal.

Now of course I’m not privy to any sort of official cost benefit analysis but fundamentally the idea of a high-speed KL-Singapore link seems sound.

The benefits of better, faster rail connectivity are clear and have been proven around the world.

Artist’s impression of the HSR terminus at Jurong East... but now that the project is scrapped, this will not be built. — Picture from TODAY

High speed rail networks serve as the transport backbone for many successful nations — including Korea and Taiwan which one would assume Malaysia is trying to emulate.

It should also be made clear that a rail link stretching south from KL would benefit Malaysians in Muar and Johor as much or more than it benefits Singaporeans.

While Tun M stated that the rail project wouldn’t earn Malaysia a sen, the reality is that outside of the profitability of the railway line itself rapid connectivity will bring all sorts of opportunities for efficient employment and growth.

A nexus between Singapore and KL opens up multiple possibilities for finance, logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing and investments.

The demand for transport along the route is already clear. KL- Singapore is possibly the busiest single air transit route in the world; there are 84 direct flights a day.

More than four million people make the air-journey every year. This is in addition to road freight, bus, car and existing rail journeys — that is how much we like to see each other.

A simple point is that a rail link would take the place of many of those flights freeing up space at both KLIA and Changi — these spaces could be used for long haul routes, increasing the efficiency and the appeal of these airports as global hubs.

Of course there has always been fears on both sides. Allowing such easy inter-city access means competition. Foreign businesses who currently operate in both cities might shift to just one.

But this sort of competition can be beneficial. KL is able to compete in terms of price and its reserves of human capital, Singapore can compete on efficiency and financial muscle — it is a fair challenge with each city keeping the other on its toes and increasing opportunities for both.

Singapore gets access to the hinterland it has always wanted and Malaysia gets access to a source of investment and capital, while of course connecting its people.

This seems like the basis for a strong infrastructure project. Of course, Malaysia is well within its rights to look at a revision of the costs and timeline but as a Singaporean, I hope this project sees the light of day sooner rather than later.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.