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PUTRAJAYA: Amid a flurry of proposals to connect Malaysia and Singapore, the two countries are looking at the possibility of building an underground tunnel.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, after meeting his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at their retreat here, told a joint press conference that a study commissioned to propose a viable option to link the two countries would be expanded “to include the possibility of an underground road connection between the two countries”.

The two leaders also agreed to set up a new working group to promote investments in Iskandar and Singapore.

Cooperation in education was also discussed while Singapore expressed interest in buying electricity from Malaysia.

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PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore are looking at the possibility of constructing an underground tunnel to connect the two countries.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who met his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at their retreat here, said the two governments had commissioned a study on a viable option to improve connectivity.

The Prime Minister told a joint press conference: “We have also agreed to expand the study to include the possibility of an underground road connection between the two countries.”

The two leaders came out from their meeting yesterday smiling for the cameras with ties between the two countries, long hindered by the issue of KTM Bhd land in Singapore, now at a satisfactory level for new areas of cooperation.

Lee said Singapore was also interested in buying electricity from Malaysia if the terms are right.

“Singapore is in the process of working out a framework to manage the import of electricity. Once it is ready, we welcome Malaysian companies to bid to supply electricity to Singapore. We hope some will succeed,” he added.

Najib said the sale of electricity would be a private sector initiative.

“I believe the private sector of both sides will be in a position to determine the right price level when the time comes. I don’t see major difficulties,” he added.

The underground connection suggested is apart from the Malaysian proposed ferry service between Tuas and Puteri Harbour and comes under other means of transportation that the two countries are considering.

Najib said these modes of connectivity are in addition to the five new cross-border bus services launched in September 2010 and the Rapid Transit System link between Singapore and Johor Baru, scheduled for operation by 2018.

Lee also proposed that the two countries explore industrial cooperation in Iskandar Malaysia during the meeting, and the two leaders agreed that a new working group be formed under the Joint Ministerial Committee to promote mutually beneficial twinning of economic activities.

Lee said Singapore was a manufacturing country facing constraints of space and manpower, both of which Malaysia has, including in Iskandar.

He said Iskandar could provide industrial facilities and infrastructure that would allow Singapore companies and other investors to operate partly in the republic and Iskandar.

“The benefits are not just industrial (growth) but also spinoffs in terms of logistics, employment, residents, schools and services.

“Najib said this makes a lot of sense and this is something we want to work together,” Lee added.

Lee also called on the private sector to participate and invest in Iskandar as bilateral relations were good.

Other areas of collaboration discussed included cooperation in aviation and airport services between Senai International Airport and Changi International Airport.

The leaders encouraged the respective airport corporations to explore commercially viable cooperation for synergy between the two airports, spilling over to business enterprises in Malaysia and Singapore.

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JOHOR BARU: Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad has lauded the proposal to build an underground link between Johor Baru and Singapore but wanted the project to be properly planned.

He said both governments must consider factors such as the location apart from the higher cost incurred to build the tunnel.

Shahrir said the tunnel would help ease the congestion at the Causeway and improve accessibility between Johor Baru and Singapore.

“Personally I think it may be less costly to build a new bridge instead of a tunnel as the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) at Bukit Chagar here is already built to cater for a new bridge,” he said.

The Causeway, which is about 1.056km long, was completed in 1923 and links the city here to Woodlands on the other side of the Straits of Johor and up to 100,000 vehicles use it daily.

Separately, Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng described Malaysia’s proposal for water taxis from Puteri Harbour to Tuas as a very good suggestion.

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