Land acquisition for KL-S’pore HSR project to start next month

KUALA LUMPUR: The land acquisition process for the construction of KL-Singapore High Speed l (HSR) project would commence on Nov 1, 2017, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the acquisition process would start on the same day as the public inspection exercise to garner feedback from the public regarding the HSR project for a duration of three months.

“MyHSR Corp Sdn Bhd is submitting its applications to the relevant government authority for land freezing purposes, an essential process to study the viability of the pre-selected areas.

“Then the areas are further refined to reflect public’s feedback on the alignment after which, the finalised areas of land will then be acquired for the project,” he said at the unveiling of KL-Singapore HSR station concept designs yesterday.

MyHSR chief executive officer,  Datuk Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal, said the land acquisition exercise was expected to finish in the middle of next year.

He said the alignment of the HSR rail would have consisted of current population centres and future population centres due to the ability of the project to become an engine of growth to surrounding areas.

“We are also working alongside Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to ensure that all the stations will have multi-model connection, including stage bus and inter-city bus,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Nur Ismal said, the government was weighing a proposal by Hong Kong-listed property developer, Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd, for an HSR station in Forest City, Johor.

“We have also been made aware of that. Currently the proposal is being studied by SPAD. So they will work together to come out with a decision from government,” he said.

However, he said, any decision was not expected to add cost to the project. — Bernama