SEPANG, Jan 12 — The government will study the impact of the Japanese rail firms’ decision to opt out of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Will look at it; I just received the report,” he said to the press after performing Friday prayers at Masjid Al-Hijrah in Desa Pinggiran Putra today.
According to a Kyodo News report, the Japanese firms have decided to drop their plans to get involved in a high-speed rail project as sources said it “will be too risky without the Malaysian government’s financial support”.
In July 2023, MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyHSR) launched a Request for Information (RFI) process to enable the private sector to formally submit concept proposals for the HSR project through a public-private partnership model.
It also held an RFI briefing for the project, which reportedly attracted over 700 local and international participants.
Implementing the RFI process also signifies the government’s initiative to revive the HSR project through new financing mechanisms and execution models, as well as efforts to enhance rail transport infrastructure and boost Malaysia’s economy.
The RFI deadline for the project is on Monday, January 15.
Separately, Anwar said the government is willing to consider Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s request for a removal and ban of the Man on the Run documentary from Netflix.
“We will consider it,” he said.
Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Najib, was reported to have sent a letter to the Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, as well as to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din and chief regulatory officer Datuk Zulkairnain Mohd Yasin, requesting action to be taken to remove and ban the documentary on Netflix.
He said the request was made on grounds the one-hour-and-38-minute documentary is extremely subjudice and contemptuous to his client’s ongoing case.
— Bernama
