ISKANDAR PUTERI: UEM Group Bhd is eyeing spillover projects from the development of the high speed rail (HSR) project which is expected to spur rapid development along its route, especially in Iskandar Malaysia.
Group managing director/chief executive officer Datuk Izzaddin Idris said however the group would only decide on its participation in any HSR-related projects after its detailed plan was unveiled by the government.
“We have decided not to get involved in the construction (of the HSR) but we are hoping to participate in its development,” he told reporters after launching a charity run in conjunction with Iskandar Puteri’s 50th anniversary here yesterday.
Izzaddin said the group was also looking at opportunities in Muar and Batu Pahat given that the two districts would house two of the eight stations for the 350-kilometre (km) rail line.
“I think we can contribute positively to the development of the HSR as we have the capability, as well as good track record all these years,” he said.
On July 19, Malaysia and Singapore inked a memorandum of understanding to kick off the iconic project, which will be followed by a legally-binding bilateral agreement which entails great details of the project to be signed by both countries towards the end of the year.
In a joint statement later, the Land Public Transport Commission and Land Transport Authority of Singapore said they would be calling for an international tender next month to appoint a joint development partner to provide technical support on joint aspects of the project including interface and integration matters.
The HSR which is scheduled to operate in 2026, will reduce travel time between the two countries to just 90 minutes with speeds of over 300km per hour.
Apart from Muar and Batu Pahat, it will pass six other stations – Bandar Malaysia, Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Iskandar Puteri and Singapore.
Touted to be a ‘game changer’, the project is expected to have multiplier effects on both countries including increased gross national income and creation of job opportunities, estimated at 30,000 following its implementation. — Bernama