Proposed stops for KL-S'pore high-speed rail - Nusajaya in Johor

[FHBH12]

Malaysia’s national debt, currently at 54.6 per cent of GDP, hovers just below a critical legal ceiling and is jointly ranked with Pakistan as having the second highest debt-to-GDP ratio among 13 emerging Asian markets after Sri Lanka, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Right now, the administration is already trying very hard to balance the serious budget deficit.
Even with the implementation of GST next year and the very recent petrol hike which saved Putrajaya only about RM1.1billion, can they still manage to fork out a budget of RM40billion for the HSR??
Wait for Budget 2015 and see if there's any fund allocation for this mega project.

The Malaysia government has to continuously cut subsidies and raise taxes, which is why inflation will be quite bad in Malaysia for the next few years. Prices such as properties are quite low compared to the region, and are poised to rise significantly if the national debt and budget deficit were to be lowered. For the RTS and HSR projects, Malaysia might take special loans from Singapore.

Budget 2015: Malaysians vote 'Cost of Living' as the most important issue
Haider Yutim, Astro Awani | Updated: October 08, 2014
(First published on: October 08, 2014 12:41 MYT)

KUALA LUMPUR: The cost of living is considered to be the most vital issue among Malaysians ahead of the Budget 2015 to be tabled on October 10.

This was according to a poll conducted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on his website, www.najibrazak.com which saw this category receiving the highest vote of 36,921 votes.

The poll conducted since August 2014 through the microsite www.najibrazak.com/bajet2015, was aimed at garnering public feedback on issues concerning the upcoming Budget 2015.

Apart from the 'Cost of Living', other categories listed in the top five are Employment (22,459 votes), Housing and Urban Life (20,478 votes), Education (13.762 votes) and Social Welfare: OKU & Other Disadvantaged Groups (13,738 votes).

For Public Safety & Corruption issue, it received 10,759 votes.

The issue of corruption came into the limelight recently following the prosecution of some high rank officials of the Customs Department of Malaysia by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Meanwhile the Goods and Services Tax (GST) category, only received 10, 143 votes despite it being a topic of debate since it's announcement last year.

Other categories in the list were Healthcare, Environment & Agriculture, Transport & Infrastructure, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, Taxation, Business and Finance, Public Service and Rural Development.

The Youth & Sports category garnered the lowest votes with only 1,918 votes.

Under the 'Cost of Living', the site received many feedbacks and suggestions for the government to take into consideration.

The suggestion from Mohd Arif, a member of the public received the most 'Likes' with a total of 149 likes.

In the comment, he had asked for the government to reduce the price of petrol, and that the fuel subsidy is only meant for those earning less than RM5,000 per month.

Other top comments included a suggestion from Abdul Rahman Kamis who urged the government to refine the granting of 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M), and a suggestion from Mohd Shafie who hoped that Budget 2015 would focus on the middle income group.

The cost of living is expected to be given serious attention by the government in the 2015 Budget announcement by the Prime Minister on Friday.

This was mentioned by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah in August, saying that it was among the 30 government initiatives in Budget 2015 to help people in facing the rising cost of living.

The matter was also requested by Gen-Y youths through a Google Hangout session with astroawani.com recently, who had also asked for a fairer allocation so that it benefits those who really need it.

Read more at: http://english.astroawani.com/news/...f-living-as-the-most-important-issue-45556?cp

 

[gooddebt]

Malaysia’s national debt, currently at 54.6 per cent of GDP, hovers just below a critical legal ceiling and is jointly ranked with Pakistan as having the second highest debt-to-GDP ratio among 13 emerging Asian markets after Sri Lanka, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Right now, the administration is already trying very hard to balance the serious budget deficit.
Even with the implementation of GST next year and the very recent petrol hike which saved Putrajaya only about RM1.1billion, can they still manage to fork out a budget of RM40billion for the HSR??
Wait for Budget 2015 and see if there's any fund allocation for this mega project.

Part of the cost of HSR and RTS can be funded by the private sector in exchange for "special access" to the properties near to the stations.

 

[DCputeri]

I believe the HSR nodes are chosen based on their potential of economic activties. The funding strategy can use PPP: Public Private Partnership model.

Totally agree, the one who suggested Putrajaya must be a moron...it's just like having a mrt station at Istana in Singapore :*:
Batu Pahat will be the next boom town, really hope the Nusajaya station is at Bukit Indah though I know it is very unlikely :(

 

[snowbird]

Part of the cost of HSR and RTS can be funded by the private sector in exchange for "special access" to the properties near to the stations.

Don't forget that the biggest part of the cost comes from the approx. 350km rail line (KL -SIN)- its construction and land acquisition, the depots and the purchase of trains has to come from the state first.

 

[gooddebt]

Don't forget that the biggest part of the cost comes from the approx. 350km rail line (KL -SIN)- its construction and land acquisition, the depots and the purchase of trains has to come from the state first.

All types of costs can be 'financed' by the private sector once the right 'motivation' is offered.

 

[RedsYNWA]

All types of costs can be 'financed' by the private sector once the right 'motivation' is offered.

MY Govt can start by acquiring land along the HSR which they do not currently own. Then, announce the various exact station sites, eg Putrajaya, Seremban, Batu Pahat. Then sell off land parcels near these stations to private/public players, allowing for super high plot ratios and mixed uses. This will enable the MY Govt to accumulate the funds to build HSR.

 

[cow138]

Further more with the dropping oil prices, there will be even more pressure on revenue generation.
Else it'll be doubtful that Malaysia can meet its targets.
Isn't there a budget announcement today from Najib?

 

[freekazoid]

All types of costs can be 'financed' by the private sector once the right 'motivation' is offered.

This is plausible and probably in the works.....YTL wanted do this years back.....

 

[gooddebt]

MY Govt can start by acquiring land along the HSR which they do not currently own. Then, announce the various exact station sites, eg Putrajaya, Seremban, Batu Pahat. Then sell off land parcels near these stations to private/public players, allowing for super high plot ratios and mixed uses. This will enable the MY Govt to accumulate the funds to build HSR.

Exactly Simple solution to a 'complex' problem ! and the 'spillage' will be the motivating factor for the govt to push ahead with the construction .

 

[nusajaya2020]

Liked ! Hope they pull off the HSR well, it will have tremendous benefits to KL-Iskandar-SG.

MY Govt can start by acquiring land along the HSR which they do not currently own. Then, announce the various exact station sites, eg Putrajaya, Seremban, Batu Pahat. Then sell off land parcels near these stations to private/public players, allowing for super high plot ratios and mixed uses. This will enable the MY Govt to accumulate the funds to build HSR.

 

[Funniman]

Liked ! Hope they pull off the HSR well, it will have tremendous benefits to KL-Iskandar-SG.

MY do not need to acquire much land. UEM who holds the concession of North South Highway already has the land. All they need is to build the track along side the highway. If I am not wrong, UEM would be part of the JV for this project. The decision of putting a station in Nusajaya says it all.

 

[snowbird]

MY Govt can start by acquiring land along the HSR which they do not currently own. Then, announce the various exact station sites, eg Putrajaya, Seremban, Batu Pahat. Then sell off land parcels near these stations to private/public players, allowing for super high plot ratios and mixed uses. This will enable the MY Govt to accumulate the funds to build HSR.

For most mega projects in MY, there are always a very good chance of having super massive delays and cost overruns.
It already happened to the KLIA2 and also the Port Klang (PKFZ).
For PKFZ, the final cost actually ballooned from the initial estimate by 4 times!!!
However, I do hope history will not repeats itself like that famous Port Klang (PKFZ) scandal saga where RM billions were lost.
People were arrested and charged but were also acquitted and finally no one were held accountable, so the RM billions just conveniently vanished into a black hole by itself.

 

[Valdez]

High-speed rail hotspots


With the RM40 bil high-speed rail (HSR) project slated to move ahead, one thing is certain – the properties that surround the six stations in Malaysia and three in Singapore will be the next hotspots for developers and buyers.

Already there is a scramble among developers to guess the locations of the stations due to the lucrative prospects offered by connectivity between the peoples of the two nations.

Singapore has revealed all nine stations to be built in the island nation – in the locality of the Singapore City Centre, Jurong East and Tuas West – and in Malaysia at Gerbang in Nusajaya, Batu Pahat-Kluang, Muar-Pagoh, Melaka-Ayer Keroh, Seremban and Bandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

A project that stands to gain from the first stop after Singapore is the RM3 bil FASTrack Iskandar, a major motorsports hub set for completion in 2016. A partnership comprising Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, the Johor royal family and Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the project is not far from the Gerbang Nusajaya HSR station, confirms the Malaysian Land Transport Commission (SPAD).

SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal has revealed train fares will be comparable to budget airline fares and that travellers can reach their destinations more quickly since actual travel time for the non-stop express service between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is estimated at 90 minutes.

 

[potter]

http://transport.asiaone.com/news/general/story/spore-kl-high-speed-rail-7-stops-malaysia

 

[malpaso]

High-speed rail hotspots


With the RM40 bil high-speed rail (HSR) project slated to move ahead, one thing is certain – the properties that surround the six stations in Malaysia and three in Singapore will be the next hotspots for developers and buyers.

Already there is a scramble among developers to guess the locations of the stations due to the lucrative prospects offered by connectivity between the peoples of the two nations.

Singapore has revealed all nine stations to be built in the island nation – in the locality of the Singapore City Centre, Jurong East and Tuas West – and in Malaysia at Gerbang in Nusajaya, Batu Pahat-Kluang, Muar-Pagoh, Melaka-Ayer Keroh, Seremban and Bandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

A project that stands to gain from the first stop after Singapore is the RM3 bil FASTrack Iskandar, a major motorsports hub set for completion in 2016. A partnership comprising Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, the Johor royal family and Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the project is not far from the Gerbang Nusajaya HSR station, confirms the Malaysian Land Transport Commission (SPAD).

SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal has revealed train fares will be comparable to budget airline fares and that travellers can reach their destinations more quickly since actual travel time for the non-stop express service between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is estimated at 90 minutes.

correct me if i'm wrong, i understand that There is only one station stop (terminating south bound station) in singapore - either tuas, JE, or citycentre. not three.

i'm hoping it's JE. yippee!

 

[FHBH12]

correct me if i'm wrong, i understand that There is only one station stop (terminating south bound station) in singapore - either tuas, JE, or citycentre. not three.

i'm hoping it's JE. yippee!

PM Lee has already hinted strongly that it will be at Jurong East. Lawrence Wong is chairing a committee to maximise the potential of Jurong Lake District, and Tharman (MP for Jurong GRC) is behind the curtain lending his clout. In contrast, there is not a single announcement for Tuas. City-center is extremely impossible as the land and construction costs will kill off the project.

New steering committee to drive development plans for Jurong Lake District
By Sharon See
POSTED: 19 Oct 2014 11:37
UPDATED: 19 Oct 2014 23:40

A new steering committee led by Minister Lawrence Wong will drive development plans for Jurong Lake District and its surrounding areas.

SINGAPORE: A steering committee has been set up to drive the development plans for Jurong Lake District and its surrounding areas, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.

The committee will be headed by Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong. It will comprise members from the public and private sectors, as well as the community.

Mr Tharman, who also a Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC, said the committee will look at all the options and gather ideas and feedback before the plans are finalised. The plans include merging the Japanese Garden, Chinese Garden and Jurong Lake Park into the Jurong Lake Gardens.

"The new Jurong Lake Gardens will not be developed in a rush. We will take care that it retains its special character," Mr Tharman told residents at a community cleanup of Jurong Lake on Sunday morning (Oct 19).

"The challenge that we have is to ensure that we retain the natural feel and sense of heritage of this place, but inject life and enable many more Singaporeans to enjoy the place. It must be - as Prime Minister Lee put it - a 'people's garden' filled with activities and community events, and where the spirit of community gardening comes alive."

Mr Tharman said the Jurong Lake Gardens is a fresh vision for an area that has undergone a few transformations since the 1960s.

Mr Wong compared the development of Jurong Lake District to that of Marina Bay, which started from an empty slate. "In the same way, what we are planning to do for Jurong Lake District is very much about having conviction and faith in Singapore's future and thinking about how we can make it even better. And that was how we got here today."

"Fifty years ago, Jurong was very different, and now it's significantly improved. And just as 50 years ago, we made Jurong the frontier for industrialisation, that was the new way forward for our industrialisation push. I think now we're looking at how we can make Jurong Lake District the new frontier to create a high-quality sustainable live-work-play environment and so that we can have a much better Jurong Lake District for the future, for our next generation. So that's what this project is about."

Early next year, the National Parks Board will be seeking ideas from the public, which will be added to the brief for the masterplan competition for Jurong Lake Gardens.

A Water-Venture Committee (Jurong Lake) by the People's Association Water-Venture has also been set up to engage more residents in water and adventure sports, as well as promote greater care and love for community spaces.

Gerard Lim, 27, a member of Water-Venture Committee (Jurong Lake) and a PhD student in applied physics from NTU, said: "Jurong Lake has become more and more popular over the years. What happens is that we're having more people coming and using this area. That means more litter as well. So this initiative actually makes people more aware of this area, Jurong Lake, and to learn to keep this place clean."

- CNA/by/ir

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-steering-committee-to/1423522.html

 

[Newbie11]

http://www.nst.com.my/node/45268?m=1

 

[Manhattan]

It will not be exactly at jurong east mrt, it's likely to be near the jurong bowl and on the other side of AYE. It will run nicely along AYE from tuas. Then it will connect to the mrt network by a future mrt line.

 

[Newbie11]

Think so too. .perhaps that's why realignment of aye is being considered

 

[FHBH12]

High-speed rail: Singapore wants updated feasibility study from Malaysia
By Saifulbahri Ismail
POSTED: 24 Oct 2014 21:42

Singapore's Transport Ministry said Malaysia had shared its initial feasibility study with Singapore in January. However, since then, there have been major changes to Malaysia's proposal.

SINGAPORE: Singapore has requested that Malaysia provide an updated version of its feasibility study on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail. Singapore's Transport Ministry told Channel NewsAsia on Friday (Oct 24) that Malaysia had shared its initial feasibility study with Singapore in January this year. However, since then, there have been major changes to Malaysia's proposal, including an additional station in Putrajaya and changes in alignment.

The ministry said an updated study and other details are needed for Singapore's own feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by next year.

On Wednesday, the chairman of Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission Mr Syed Hamid Albar had said that authorities are waiting for Singapore's own feasibility study on its section of the rail. Singapore's feasibility study started in August and is ongoing.

In addition, Mr Syed Hamid said construction of the rail could start in the third quarter of next year.

Singapore's Transport Ministry said that before construction works begin, both countries will need to discuss and agree on various other issues, including financing and governance frameworks.

The rail link - first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in February last year - is expected to cut down travel time between the two cities to 90 minutes, compared to over four hours by road.

- CNA/ms

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/high-speed-rail-singapore/1433714.html