KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Singapore’s goodwill in inking the landmark deal for the Rapid Transit System (RTS) link has received praise from Hong Kong media, which has in turn questioned why a similar deal could not be struck between Hong Kong and Beijing.
In an editorial piece published today, the country’s English daily, The Standard, said the rail deal between Malaysia and Singapore, whose relationship had rough patches in the past, could not have been possible had there not been goodwill on both sides.
It quoted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as saying that the four-kilometre rail link between Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore was “technically complicated”.
The editorial noted that while that may be the case, it wondered “if there can really be something on earth that can be more complicated than the delicate relationship between the two counties which share a history of upheavals in their relationship.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” said The Standard’s writer, Mary Ma.
It proceeded to say that while technical challenges can be overcome by science, goodwill must be cultivated.
The deal begs the question as to whether the Malaysia-Singapore example gives Hong Kong food for thought in terms of debating the legality of the co-location border clearance for the Express Rail Link in West Kowloon.
The RTS link envisages a train departure every eight minutes, increasing to every four minutes during peak periods.
Upon full operation, the system can carry up to 10,000 passengers an hour in each direction.
Customs, immigration and quarantine clearance would be a major headache if the commuters are to be cleared quickly enough not to bog down the system, it noted. To facilitate the flow, there will be co-located clearance facilities at the point of departure, and passengers need not go through immigration checks again at the arrival point.”
Ma expressed bafflement at how two countries sharing a history of distrust could overcome all the odds to arrive at an agreement that is also intended as part of the effort to develop parcels of common interests.
She asked, why then can’t the Special Administrative Region (under China) be rid of all the controversies over the co-location agreement in West Kowloon.
Lee, she continued, had said that the agreement was legally binding, and successor administrations on either side of the straits are expected to honour the original deal.
“In other words, had there been no trust between Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Najib Razak and Lee, there would have been nothing for their successors to inherit.
“Mutual trust is fundamental to everything. While trust is a two-way street, obviously greater efforts are needed here (Hong Kong) and in Beijing to build a foundation among all stakeholders.”
The bilateral agreement between the two countries was signed on Tuesday, eight years after it was first announced.
Completion of the RTS link is slated for 2024.