Johor govt mulling third M'sia-S'pore link

Johor govt mulling third Malaysia-Singapore link

The Johor government says it plans to build a third link between Malaysia and Singapore to reduce traffic congestion on the Johor Causeway.

Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian said the third link, once completed, would connect Pengerang in east Johor to Pulau Ubin in Singapore.

He also said the state government will draft a proposal for the construction of the link before submitting it to the federal government for approval.

“If we look at it, Pengerang is only three kilometres away from Pulau Ubin and east Johor is experiencing rapid growth.

“We also talked about implementing a new system at the third link, where people will only need to show authorities their passports once for verification,” he said during a press conference here today.

Present was UEM Sunrise Bhd chief executive officer and managing director Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib.

Osman said discussions on the new link would involve several agencies, including the state Implementation and Coordination Unit.

“The discussions will also involve the Singaporean government,” he said, adding that the link may be connected to the Pulau Ubin underground tunnel.

“The state government is always thinking about Malaysian citizens who cross into Singapore for work and the existing links are congested and packed,” he added.

~News courtesy of New Straits Times~

S'pore, M‘sia to announce joint decisions on HSR and RTS soon

Singapore, Malaysia to announce joint decisions on HSR and RTS soon: Khaw

Singapore and Malaysia will announce their joint decisions on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) projects soon, said Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Thursday (Aug 30).

In a Facebook post recapping a meeting with Malaysia's Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Mr Khaw said the two were "brainstorming ideas on how to further our bilateral relationship".

"There is so much we can do together, for mutual benefits. He is an inspiring leader," Mr Khaw said.

"We should be able to announce our joint decisions on RTS and HSR soon," Mr Khaw added.

Mr Azmin also posted a tweet on Thursday morning, saying: "We are inching closer to a win-win deal on HSR, thanks to the hard work of officials from both sides."

The HSR and RTS agreements were among several entered into by the Najib Razak-led government that were revisited following the opposition Pakatan Harapan's historic victory in the Malaysian general election.

In May, opposition leader and newly appointed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced that the country would drop the HSR project, saying it would cost "a huge sum of money" and was not beneficial to Malaysia.

Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke, however, has said the government remains committed to the RTS, though it still needs to study the costs of the project.

In July, Dr Mahathir said his government would look to negotiate a deferment of the HSR instead.

"Having studied it and the implication of unilaterally discarding the contract, we decided we may have to do it at a later date, we may have to reduce the price. But reduction of the price is very difficult as far as we can make out. So it has to be deferred," he said.

Mr Azmin had said then that he planned to visit Singapore in the near future to discuss the status of the HSR agreement.

Dr Mahathir, who also announced in August that he was dropping the Chinese-backed East Coast Rail Link pipeline projects, as well as a natural gas pipeline project in Sabah, said after his appointment that Malaysia's debt topped RM1 trillion (S$331 billion).

He told the Financial Times in an interview that the cancellation of the HSR was necessary to "avoid being declared bankrupt".

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Longer wait to enter S'pore due to security checks for missing radioactive device

Longer wait to enter Singapore due to security checks for missing radioactive device



Motorists heading into Singapore will have to wait much longer than usual at the Causeway and Second Link after the island republic increases its security checks following the disappearance of a radioactive dispersal device (RDD) in Malaysia earlier this month.

Frequent travellers are experiencing tighter security checks by the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) than normal when they enter the city-state.

Singapore has reportedly stepped up inspection at its checkpoints after the device containing the radioactive isotope Iridium-192 was reported missing in Malaysia on Aug 10.

Channel NewsAsia said ICA had been monitoring the case, and quoted a spokesman assuring the public that its checkpoints had the capability to detect radioactive threats.

Singaporean cabby Haniff Mah­bob, 65, who drives across the Johor Straits daily, said it now takes longer for inspection by ICA.

“They not only check the boot of every car that enters the bay but the spare tyre compartment as well,” he said when met here yesterday.

Another taxi driver, a Malaysian who only wanted to be known as Ng, said the stringent checks by the ICA had caused traffic heading into Singapore to be considerably slower.

“Vehicles entering Singapore are being monitored more closely in the past two weeks.

“Sometimes, handheld devices are also used to check vehicles and travellers at the Singapore checkpoint,” he said.

Cafe supervisor Aqilah Khairrah Abd Khalid, 23, said bus passengers too are subject to tighter inspection by ICA.

“There are more Singapore Immigration officers being stationed at the Woodlands checkpoint now. They use handheld scanners on our bags and check us thoroughly,” she said.

The 23kg RDD went missing from the back of a pick-up truck as it was being transported from Seremban to Shah Alam.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Chinese New Year @ Chinatown

Malaysia seeks KL-S'pore HSR delay pending review

Malaysia seeks KL-Singapore HSR delay pending review



A file picture of a KL-Singapore HSR station concept design.

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Months after the Malaysia signalled that it was rethinking the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) link, Malaysian Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is in charge of the project held an official meeting with his Singapore counterpart last Saturday.

Azmin told The Straits Times that his meeting with Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in the Republic was "official... good and productive".

"I explained Malaysia's position on the project. The Minister for Infrastructure will have to bring it to Singapore's Cabinet," Azmin said.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Transport confirmed the meeting was held. "The ministers discussed the HSR project and agreed to continue discussions in the coming weeks," she said.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration had initially expressed its desire to scrap the HSR project due to cost concerns after claiming that it had inherited more than RM1 trillion in debt from the previous Barisan Nasional government.

However, it later softened its stance, saying it would first have to negotiate with Singapore as there were penalties for cancelling the deal inked in December 2016.

Kuala Lumpur most recently said it would seek a deferment of the project it estimates will cost RM110bil and was originally slated to be completed in 2026.

But it had yet to convey this request formally to Singapore.

Khaw said last month that Singapore has spent more than S$250mil (RM743mil) on the project, and is likely to pour in another S$40mil (RM118mil) by the year end.

It had written officially to Malaysia in a diplomatic note on June 1 asking for clarity and a meeting to be held by July 31.

Azmin, charged with handling negotiations for Malaysia, had said he would try to meet the deadline but was busy with duties at the ongoing Parliament sitting.

In a letter to the Singapore government dated July 23, Azmin stated that the Malaysia was studying the details of the HSR project and will commence discussions with the Republic soon.

Singapore had welcomed Malaysia's suggestion to commence discussions on the project that will shorten travelling time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to only 90 minutes.

On Aug 6, Azmin said he had met "senior officials" in Singapore the previous weekend when he visited Malaysian Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then hospitalised in the Republic. He said that "the official meeting will take place some time in August".

However, Singapore's Ministry of Transport said on Aug 7 that no meeting had taken place or had been scheduled between Azmin and Singapore officials overseeing the HSR. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network

Happy National Day

Bak Chor Mee

Bak Chor Mee, which translates to minced meat noodles, is a Singaporean noodle dish popularly sold as street food in hawker centers and food courts. The noodles are tossed in vinegar, minced meat, pork slices, pork liver, stewed sliced mushrooms, meat balls and bits of deep-fried lard. 

Bak chor mee can be categorised into two variants, dry and soup version. Most dry versions come with slices of stewed mushroom, minced pork, slices of lean pork and sometimes, fried ikan bilis, atop noodles tossed in a punchy chilli-vinegar sauce, while soup versions are lauded for the depth of pork flavour in its broth. Singapore's bak chor mee listed as tops world street food by World Street Food Congress.

~Wikipedia~

Scoot to increase fares by 5% as fuel costs rise

Scoot to increase fares by 5% as fuel costs rise

Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines Group, said it will raise fares across its network by an average of 5 per cent in response to a surge in jet fuel prices that had pushed up costs.

The fare hike, effective Sep 1, will add S$5 to S$30 to the cost of each one-way journey depending on the flight duration, the airline said in a news release on Thursday (Aug 2).

Jet fuel prices have surged almost 40 per cent year-on-year and are now close to US$90 (S$123) per barrel on average, Scoot said.

The International Air Transport Association in June forecast average passenger yields, a proxy for air fares, would rise by 3.2 per cent this year, in the first annual gain since 2011 but lowered its annual profit estimate due to the rising cost of fuel and labour.

Air New Zealand in May announced a 5 per cent increase in domestic fares due to rising costs, while regulators in Japan and Taiwan have allowed airlines to put in place fuel surcharges to help compensate for the higher oil price.

Singapore Airlines last week reported a 3.2 per cent decline in passenger yields for the quarter ended Jun 30, including a 1.8 per cent fall at Scoot, disappointing investors who had hoped for fare increases.

Scoot on Thursday said it would look to cut costs in addition to raising fares, by exploring ways to reduce fuel burn, reviewing supplier contracts, using measures to increase productivity and keeping manpower resources lean.

The airline said fuel comprised an average of 32 per cent of its operating costs and its fuel costs had risen by 31 per cent compared to a year earlier.

Scoot reported a S$1 million profit in the June quarter, down from S$3 million a year earlier.

Singapore Airlines said there were no plans for the parent airline and its regional arm SilkAir to follow Scoot's lead and announce specific fare rises in response to higher oil prices.

"Our airfare pricing is dynamic based on supply and demand," a Singapore Airlines representative said.

Source: Channel News Asia