BY 2026, Malaysia will have its very own high speed rail (HSR) traversing between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Along the 350km route, there will be seven transit stations, one of which will be in Seremban.
This is no mean feat as Seremban is all set to become one of the world’s elite cities with a HSR station.
The capital of Negri Sembilan is set to be catapulted to join the likes of Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Paris which are pioneers of HSR.
This is a great achievement for a thriving town of half a million people because by having a HSR station the state is well-positioned to benefit from the massive economic spillovers it will bring.
It is well documented that where there is a HSR station, the economic status of the area and the standards of living of the people around it will grow manyfold.
Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the HSR was set to benefit the people at large with its immense economic benefits which were set to spill over into Seremban.
“HSR is a good infrastructure for the people and the people do not need to drive as they can just zoom from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban or vice versa,” said Mohamad.
To be situated in Labu, which is 16km away from Seremban, the HSR will bring huge benefits to those who live in the town and work in Kuala Lumpur and vice versa.
Traveling time will be cut by half and this will contribute towards higher worker productivity and see a hive of activities such as business deals, signing of contracts, drawing up of plans and high-powered meetings.
With the HSR, important business meetings can be conducted more frequently and efficiently and blue collar workers will be ferried pronto as they beat the traffic jams.
The high-speed link will also provide job opportunities for many Seremban folk once it commences operations.
From skilled to semi-skilled and unskilled, the HSR will offer a slew of jobs spanning from drivers, to engineers and technicians right down to ticketing staff, security, ushers and general workers.
Property value will appreciate if developments are within the proximity of an efficient transportation system such as taxi and bus stations, and HSR.
IJM land Bhd central region senior manager Datuk Hoo Kim See said land prices in the vicinity of the HSR had already appreciated on news that Seremban would be one of the HSR stops.
This will be a boon for Malaysians who have property investments, including the low and medium income group who have savings in unit trust schemes such as Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) or Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB).
This is because Sime Darby is one of the major developers in Seremban Dua with projects such as at Bandar Ainsdale, and one of its main shareholders is Permodalan Nasional Bhd which manages the unit trust schemes that include ASB and ASN.
A hike in property prices will benefit Sime Darby and will in turn impact positively on PNB and the average Malaysian investors.
With a station in Labu, the Negri Sembilan government is looking at all angles to boost its tourism sector.
Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Tun Hairudin Abu Bakar said the selection of Labu was a wise move as it was strategic location.
He said Labu was only 25km from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which was about 30 minutes by road.
“This will ease the journey of HSR users to and from the airport.”
He said commuters could get off at Labu station before going to KLIA or they could explore tourism products and services in Negri Sembilan before resuming their journey.
Tun Hairudin said the state recorded 7.5 million tourist arrivals last year, an increase of 5.5 million in 2014, and with the HSR, tourists arrivals are expected to surge further.
“As we welcome this, we must also step up the game. I believe that upgrading the public transport system at tourism spots is needed because a good travel experience will leave a lasting impact on visitors.
“Locals who are working or venturing into tourism businesses will also benefit the most from this.”
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Islamic Finance and Wealth Management Institute director Dr Nuradli Ridhzuan Shah said Seremban was expected to benefit tremendously as the HSR could draw a lot of international students to the country.
“I am confident that this easy access to a higher education institute will spark interest among foreigners, especially from Singapore, to further their studies in Malaysia.”
Nuradli said the growing number of foreign students would also help expand the country’s economy.
He added that a specialist hospital under the university, which was in the pipeline, stood to benefit from the HSR project.
The specialist hospital will offer opportunities in health management and medical tourism and provide jobs with easy access to people coming in and going to Singapore. This will drive Seremban to become a medical tourism town.