SINGAPORE, Dec 4 — 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 Transport Minister Anthony Loke and his Singaporean acting counterpart cum Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong witnessed the event during the 12th Malaysia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Retreat here.
Earlier, Loke said 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 December 31, 2026, with operations set to begin in January 2027.
When asked about details of the four-eyed meeting with Wong, Anwar said he and Wong also discussed the border crossing congestion, which needs to be addressed immediately.
He 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 yet to be 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 than other issues.
Bilateral cooperation on the energy transition and energy imports, especially from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, has also made 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.
Anwar noted that the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (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.
