SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Johor on Jan 11 to attend a ceremony marking a milestone in the cross-border rail project, and witness the signing of an agreement on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEZ).
He will first meet Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the connecting concrete span between the Singapore and Malaysia sections of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link viaduct.
The RTS Link will connect the above-ground Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and the underground Woodlands North station in Singapore.
Slated to commence passenger service at the end of 2026, the RTS Link train can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction. Travelling at about 80kmh, the four-carriage train will complete the journey in just six minutes.
Following the RTS Link commemorative ceremony, both prime ministers will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the JSSEZ.
PM Lee and Datuk Seri Anwar last met in Singapore in October 2023 at the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat, where they discussed the JSSEZ.
Following the two-day meeting, it was announced that an agreement will be inked on Jan 11 to usher in the next stage of the JSSEZ.
The special economic zone aims to strengthen economic collaboration in the Iskandar development region by tapping the complementary strengths of both countries and improving cross-border flows of goods, investments and people, said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement on Jan 10.
On Jan 11, PM Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, National Development Minister Desmond Lee, Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat and Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Faishal Ibrahim.
