HSR and RTS Discussion

mpan12 said:

If they are really serious about RTS, they should have worked in sync with Singapore and get the RTS ready by 2019. But I don't think it's going anywhere at the moment. It's just talk only as usual.

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I've said many times before. No need the RTS. Just electrified (as oppose to the present diesel engine) and increase the current KTM shuttle between JB and Woodlands to 15 minutes intervals will do the job similarly well. Otherwise, if doesn't want to upgrade, then it should be no more than 20 minutes intervals.

Bandar Malaysia Shareholder agreement signed.
MOU for financing signed.
MOU for building of HSR terminal signed.
Yet no news from Singapore side....on HSR.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Malaysia will not only be a place for businesses as there will be a social element with 5,000 affordable homes, says Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Shareholders Ministry of Finance Inc (MOF Inc) and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings and China Railway Engineering Corporation (IWH-CREC), the Prime Minister said, had committed to build the homes in the first phase of development.

“Construction of the homes will be fast-tracked as a matter of priority,” said Najib, who pointed out that it was proof of the Govern*ment’s commitment to meet the needs of all Malaysians.

Najib, who attended the signing of Bandar Malaysia’s Shareholders Agreement, said 40% of Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd would be owned by MOF Inc and 60% by Johor-China consortium IWH-CREC.

The Federal Government, together with the Johor government, will jointly hold 54% of the equity in the transport-oriented integrated development, with IWH holding 22% and CREC 24%.

Present at the event were CREC chairman Li Changjin and IWH executive vice-chairman Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo.

Najib also announced incentives for the master developer and its subsidiaries. These include income exemption for 10 years, exemption from stamp duty (eight years), Real Property Gains Tax (eight years), withholding tax (eight years) and exemption from import duty on selected construction materials not manufactured locally.

In addition, the Government had agreed to consider granting tax incentives to top global companies and financial institutions, he added.

He invited international companies to “seize the moment and come to Bandar Malaysia”, which he described as an unbeatable destination for multinationals to set up their regional headquarters.

This, he said, would bring international professionals and make it attractive for qualified locals, who might otherwise decide to work abroad, to stay.

Two other Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed yesterday – for the Bandar Malaysia Fund by a consortium of banks and for an intergrated Transportation Terminal.

MRCB Berhad, which is 38% owned by the Employees Provident Fund, will also be participating as a joint-venture partner in building Bandar Malaysia’s Integrated Transportation Terminal.

China Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang encouraged companies from his country to invest and set up their regional headquarters here.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong was also present, his first official function after undergoing spinal surgery early last month and a brief period of rest and recovery.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nati...ve-5000-affordable-homes-and-integrated-tran/

Tekkun said:

Bandar Malaysia Shareholder agreement signed.
MOU for financing signed.
MOU for building of HSR terminal signed.
Yet no news from Singapore side....on HSR.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Malaysia will not only be a place for businesses as there will be a social element with 5,000 affordable homes, says Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Shareholders Ministry of Finance Inc (MOF Inc) and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings and China Railway Engineering Corporation (IWH-CREC), the Prime Minister said, had committed to build the homes in the first phase of development.

“Construction of the homes will be fast-tracked as a matter of priority,” said Najib, who pointed out that it was proof of the Govern*ment’s commitment to meet the needs of all Malaysians.

Najib, who attended the signing of Bandar Malaysia’s Shareholders Agreement, said 40% of Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd would be owned by MOF Inc and 60% by Johor-China consortium IWH-CREC.

The Federal Government, together with the Johor government, will jointly hold 54% of the equity in the transport-oriented integrated development, with IWH holding 22% and CREC 24%.

Present at the event were CREC chairman Li Changjin and IWH executive vice-chairman Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo.

Najib also announced incentives for the master developer and its subsidiaries. These include income exemption for 10 years, exemption from stamp duty (eight years), Real Property Gains Tax (eight years), withholding tax (eight years) and exemption from import duty on selected construction materials not manufactured locally.

In addition, the Government had agreed to consider granting tax incentives to top global companies and financial institutions, he added.

He invited international companies to “seize the moment and come to Bandar Malaysia”, which he described as an unbeatable destination for multinationals to set up their regional headquarters.

This, he said, would bring international professionals and make it attractive for qualified locals, who might otherwise decide to work abroad, to stay.

Two other Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed yesterday – for the Bandar Malaysia Fund by a consortium of banks and for an intergrated Transportation Terminal.

MRCB Berhad, which is 38% owned by the Employees Provident Fund, will also be participating as a joint-venture partner in building Bandar Malaysia’s Integrated Transportation Terminal.

China Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang encouraged companies from his country to invest and set up their regional headquarters here.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong was also present, his first official function after undergoing spinal surgery early last month and a brief period of rest and recovery.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nati...ve-5000-affordable-homes-and-integrated-tran/

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Perhaps Malaysia can proceed with HSR with a terminal in Johor first. If the terms and conditions are reasonable, then Singapore can construct the terminal at Jurong East and link it to Johor. Even before construction, Malaysia is already benefiting from the planned project, while there is none for Singapore. Hence it might be better for Singapore to focus on developing the air and sea hubs, and other economical links, rather than work with Malaysia on HSR, which IMHO is a political milestone but financial disaster for Singapore.

FHBH12 said:

Perhaps Malaysia can proceed with HSR with a terminal in Johor first. If the terms and conditions are reasonable, then Singapore can construct the terminal at Jurong East and link it to Johor. Even before construction, Malaysia is already benefiting from the planned project, while there is none for Singapore. Hence it might be better for Singapore to focus on developing the air and sea hubs, and other economical links, rather than work with Malaysia on HSR, which IMHO is a political milestone but financial disaster for Singapore.

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Whatever the naysayers have to say, these bankers are no small boys and they definitely know what they are doing.

KUALA LUMPUR : A consortium comprising four local banks and four international banks with a combined asset base exceeding US$13tril have set up a new fund to finance the development of the Bandar Malaysia project in Kuala Lumpur.

The Bandar Malaysia fund, which will be utilized to finance development and construction works, are backed by some of the largest bank in the world. The international banks that are participating include the Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China Construction Bank (CCB) and HSBC.

The local banking groups backing the fund are CIMB, Maybank, RHB, and Affin Bank.

FHBH12 said:

Perhaps Malaysia can proceed with HSR with a terminal in Johor first. If the terms and conditions are reasonable, then Singapore can construct the terminal at Jurong East and link it to Johor. Even before construction, Malaysia is already benefiting from the planned project, while there is none for Singapore. Hence it might be better for Singapore to focus on developing the air and sea hubs, and other economical links, rather than work with Malaysia on HSR, which IMHO is a political milestone but financial disaster for Singapore.

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If MY were to proceed with the HSR with the help from China, no way they can terminate the line in JB.

China's intention all the while and had already planned the rail line from Kunming running through Laos, Thailand, Malaysia Peninsula and finally terminating in SG, fulfilling their ambition of presence southwards on land.
The Laos portion is already in negotiation while portion of the Thai line is already in progress.
China had also already made initial moves by buying up the site designated for the Terminal in KL and look closely at the major International banks showing interest - Bank of China, ICBC (China) , China Construction Bank, etc......
Not only that, China showed "kindness" by spending billions$$$ buying up useless power plants from 1MDB to help them to pay debts.
So MY has to reciprocate in some ways............. some maybe like the South China Sea issues.
Then Chinese developers start building up land banks all over the country, starting with JB...
Looks like China is building a mini Chinese city in KL!

FHBH12 said:

Perhaps Malaysia can proceed with HSR with a terminal in Johor first. If the terms and conditions are reasonable, then Singapore can construct the terminal at Jurong East and link it to Johor. Even before construction, Malaysia is already benefiting from the planned project, while there is none for Singapore. Hence it might be better for Singapore to focus on developing the air and sea hubs, and other economical links, rather than work with Malaysia on HSR, which IMHO is a political milestone but financial disaster for Singapore.

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While everyone is up and running, SG/MY still tallking...as I said before, Singapore can wait until the whole thing complete. Then only real talks will begin...until then still talking.

South Korea wants to give its high-speed rail tech to Malaysia
Wednesday, 15 June 2016 | MYT 12:43 AM

South Korea wants to transfer its technology over to Malaysia, but only if it wins the bid for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project.

Some of the things the country's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kang Hoin talked about on Tuesday included low building costs, operational knowledge and their HSR technology.

However, South Korea can't promise anything specific just yet, as tenders for the project have not yet opened, though Malaysia and Singapore are likely to sign an agreement over the project soon.

http://www.thestar.com.my/videos/20...to-give-its-high-speed-rail-tech-to-malaysia/

How to let China handle HSR like dat??? Tsk tsk....

By the way, I've always thought MRT trains were made in Japan? Now even SMRT also want to cut costs?

Singapore News


35 SMRT trains recalled by China manufacturer due to defects

A Chinese manufacturer is secretly recalling 35 SMRT trains due to cracks and structural defects found in them, according to a report by FactWire of Hong Kong on Tuesday (5 July).

A source from the Chinese railway industry told the Hong Kong news agency that Singapore train operator SMRT was shipping the defective trains back to manufacturer CSR Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company for replacement and repair. According to sources, the trains were stored at SMRT’s Bishan Depot.

Around 1am on 12 June, FactWire said its reporters saw two train cars wrapped in green covering being transported out of the depot. Around 3am, the train cars arrived in Jurong Port. The reporters used a drone camera and spotted six train cars in one corner of the port.

Another source confirmed that the train that was spotted was to be shipped to Qingdao, where CSR Sifang’s factory is located. In late June, FactWire reporters went to the factory in a district in Qingdao. Two CSR Sifang staff confirmed that the train arrived at the factory on 25 June and was shipped from Singapore.

Outside the factory, FactWire reporters saw train cars wrapped in green covering with “E27” printed on it, the same marking as the covering spotted in Singapore.

The defective trains were part of SMRT’s C151A series, according to FactWire. The manufacturing contract of the C151A trains was awarded in May 2009 to a consortium including Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Company, its Singapore subsidiary and CSR Sifang. A total of 35 C151A trains were shipped to Singapore from May 2011 to 2014 and put into service.

Sources from China and Singapore told FactWire that problems with the trains have surfaced since they began service in 2011. They said the trains were of poor quality and glass next to passenger seats have shattered repeatedly.

In December 2011, SMRT experienced its worst train service disruption to date, which the operator suspected were caused by the C151A trains, the report said.

A subcontractor for the trains’ components said SMRT greatly reduced the operational frequency of the defective trains and asked to delay payment for the extra C151A trains.

One of the China railway industry sources said that the quality issues of the C151A trains began to worsen in 2013 due to serious structural problems.

A source from CSR Sifang said that Kawasaki was taking over the manufacturing of the train car body while the Chinese company was responsible for reassembly.

One former SMRT worker told FactWire, “I’ve never encountered a situation like this in all my decades of working in railway construction. Replacing the whole frame (of the train) – you can tell how serious (the problem) is.”

Another former SMRT worker said, “(Chinese-made trains) are very cheap. How can you have (something) that is very good and pay a very cheap price? So this is (the) trade-off.”

SMRT, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority and the parent company of CSR Sifang did not respond to requests for comment from FactWire.

In response to the posts about the defective trains, SMRT said on its Facebook page on Tuesday, “Our engineers discovered that 26 of the 35 trains delivered by the manufacturer had cracks in the structure connecting the car body and the bogie after they were delivered in 2013.

“Since then, we have been working closely with LTA and the manufacturer to rectify the issue. The defective trains, which are still under warranty, will be repaired by the manufacturer.”

The operator said that a monthly safety assessment is conducted by LTA and the manufacturer before each train is put into service.

LTA has also responded and said that it has been working closely with Kawasaki and CSR Sifang on the defects that were found on the C151A trains.

“These defects, found on the train body, are not safety-critical and do not affect the train’s systems or performance. The train manufacturer will be required to make good the defects as part of their warranty,” LTA said.

“Trains on the rail network are extensively tested to ensure the safety and reliability of the train,” it added.

mpan12 said:

How to let China handle HSR like dat??? Tsk tsk....

By the way, I've always thought MRT trains were made in Japan? Now even SMRT also want to cut costs?

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Fleet details
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMRT_Trains

It is a given that Malaysia wants to partner China in the HSR and many other rail projects in Malaysia. China has already bailed out the Malaysia government by buying up its debts and encouraged many Chinese companies to invest in Malaysia (e.g. Huawei in Iskandar). The HSR trains are likely to be assembled in Malaysia and major part of the HSR project could be financed by the Chinese government.

Singapore-Malaysia high speed rail plans inch closer
The Star/ANN | Patrick Lee | Sunday, Jul 10, 2016

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/malays...d-rail-plans-inch-closer#sthash.v292pBGl.dpuf

FHBH12 said:

Singapore-Malaysia high speed rail plans inch closer
The Star/ANN | Patrick Lee | Sunday, Jul 10, 2016

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/malays...d-rail-plans-inch-closer#sthash.v292pBGl.dpuf

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With cash rich China pumping money and resources into this rail project, perhaps it is sufficient for China and Malaysia to go ahead with the HSR without it crossing into Singapore, becoming renamed as China-Malaysia HSR?

Frodo said:

With cash rich China pumping money and resources into this rail project, perhaps it is sufficient for China and Malaysia to go ahead with the HSR without it crossing into Singapore, becoming renamed as China-Malaysia HSR?

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Without the link into Singapore it is as good as useless.

Frodo said:

With cash rich China pumping money and resources into this rail project, perhaps it is sufficient for China and Malaysia to go ahead with the HSR without it crossing into Singapore, becoming renamed as China-Malaysia HSR?

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No way dude.
The Chinese main intention is to have the railway line all the way from Kunming, passing thru Indo-China and terminate in Singapore to complete their "One Road One Belt" project.
See how fast and aggressive they are at the reclamation works in the South China Sea - from nothing and already now there are runways, ports, lighthouses, dormitories completed in those new islands which is part of the "One Road One Belt" ambition.

One thing I have to admit is I'm amazed at how fast and confident they are at getting things done. Other countries need 5-7 years and they say they can do it within 3 years using "advance technology".

China is progressing fast indeed. 15-20 years ago, we only know Japan who is into such technologies. Slowly Korea came into the picture and now China leads almost in everything.

By the way, anyone knows if Johor's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will have a terminal in Singapore or not? Read that it aims to have a 90% coverage of Iskandar. Sounds promising also but how long to wait?

sgcount said:

One thing I have to admit is I'm amazed at how fast and confident they are at getting things done. Other countries need 5-7 years and they say they can do it within 3 years using "advance technology".

China is progressing fast indeed. 15-20 years ago, we only know Japan who is into such technologies. Slowly Korea came into the picture and now China leads almost in everything.

By the way, anyone knows if Johor's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will have a terminal in Singapore or not? Read that it aims to have a 90% coverage of Iskandar. Sounds promising also but how long to wait?

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Wait long long....It will never reach Singapore. BRT had never been mentioned by Singapore.

snowbird said:

No way dude.
The Chinese main intention is to have the railway line all the way from Kunming, passing thru Indo-China and terminate in Singapore to complete their "One Road One Belt" project.
See how fast and aggressive they are at the reclamation works in the South China Sea - from nothing and already now there are runways, ports, lighthouses, dormitories completed in those new islands which is part of the "One Road One Belt" ambition.

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You are probably right that China may intend to have it terminate at Singapore. Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that, given China's financial muscle, they could do it (the KL-JB portion of the project) even without any involvement from Singapore.

China is obviously not happy with Singapore. Will it affect the HSR linkage to Singapore?

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Singapore has picked the wrong target in its balance of powers strategy: Global Times commentary
PUBLISHEDJUN 9, 2016, 8:20 AM SGT

FACEBOOK445TWITTEREMAIL
Cheng Bifan

Mr Chen Jiulin (founder of Beijing Joseph Investment Co and former CEO of China Aviation Oil) wrote an opinion piece, "Singapore should support China's South China Sea stand too", in the Global Times recently, hoping that Singapore "will stop using US' power consistently to contain China". Mr Chen has good intentions, but I think it is quite difficult for Singapore to change its stand. A rough recap will provide some understanding on how Singapore's views on security came about.

Singapore was at a loss when it was forced to leave Malaysia in August 1965. Fortunately, the strong leadership of the People's Action Party crafted a survival and development strategy to transform Singapore into a "global city". Simply put, it is to take advantage of Singapore's excellent geographical location and conditions to bring in capital from Western nations led by the United States, thereby giving the West a vested interest in Singapore. That way, not only will they help Singapore in economic development, but they will also provide security against attacks from Singapore's hostile neighbours. According to Lee Kuan Yew, this is called the "balance of powers strategy". If one recalls, in the early 1970s, he once clarified that "balance of powers" did not mean two evenly-matched sides in a confrontation but rather a "state of stability". There was already a so-called claim of "Pax Americana" at the time, and Singapore's security was mainly to take shelter under US wings, and in the eyes of Lee Kuan Yew, "balance of powers" actually meant American hegemony.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/ea...n-its-balance-of-powers-strategy-global-times

Tekkun said:

China is obviously not happy with Singapore. Will it affect the HSR linkage to Singapore?

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Singapore has picked the wrong target in its balance of powers strategy: Global Times commentary
PUBLISHEDJUN 9, 2016, 8:20 AM SGT

FACEBOOK445TWITTEREMAIL
Cheng Bifan

Mr Chen Jiulin (founder of Beijing Joseph Investment Co and former CEO of China Aviation Oil) wrote an opinion piece, "Singapore should support China's South China Sea stand too", in the Global Times recently, hoping that Singapore "will stop using US' power consistently to contain China". Mr Chen has good intentions, but I think it is quite difficult for Singapore to change its stand. A rough recap will provide some understanding on how Singapore's views on security came about.

Singapore was at a loss when it was forced to leave Malaysia in August 1965. Fortunately, the strong leadership of the People's Action Party crafted a survival and development strategy to transform Singapore into a "global city". Simply put, it is to take advantage of Singapore's excellent geographical location and conditions to bring in capital from Western nations led by the United States, thereby giving the West a vested interest in Singapore. That way, not only will they help Singapore in economic development, but they will also provide security against attacks from Singapore's hostile neighbours. According to Lee Kuan Yew, this is called the "balance of powers strategy". If one recalls, in the early 1970s, he once clarified that "balance of powers" did not mean two evenly-matched sides in a confrontation but rather a "state of stability". There was already a so-called claim of "Pax Americana" at the time, and Singapore's security was mainly to take shelter under US wings, and in the eyes of Lee Kuan Yew, "balance of powers" actually meant American hegemony.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/ea...n-its-balance-of-powers-strategy-global-times

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Safety under the wings of the "eagle"!

Frodo said:

Safety under the wings of the "eagle"!

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This year, Najib's 4 eyes meeting with LHL is a bit late; probably both sides are trying to finalise the HSR MOU.

I find both SG and JB retail/F&B are quiet atm, probably needs some stimulus to get it going again.

Tekkun said:

China is obviously not happy with Singapore. Will it affect the HSR linkage to Singapore?

=============================================================

Singapore has picked the wrong target in its balance of powers strategy: Global Times commentary
PUBLISHEDJUN 9, 2016, 8:20 AM SGT

FACEBOOK445TWITTEREMAIL
Cheng Bifan

Mr Chen Jiulin (founder of Beijing Joseph Investment Co and former CEO of China Aviation Oil) wrote an opinion piece, "Singapore should support China's South China Sea stand too", in the Global Times recently, hoping that Singapore "will stop using US' power consistently to contain China". Mr Chen has good intentions.....

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Why should Singapore pleases China? The only major power that supports their South China Sea invasion is Russia (their communist comrades). Which other major power in this world supports them? In such a scenario, definitely they are in the wrong.

I dare say that if Malaysia is not careful, in the not too distant future, when you sail out 300km from the coast of Sabah, you would have already intruded into Chinese territories. Indonesia used to ignore them until recently when China starts to stir troubles in the Natuna Islands, causing them to wake up and beef up their navy presently.

With or without the HSR terminating in Singapore is not for China to interfere. This is between Malaysia and Singapore.