HSR: Government to study impact of Japanese firms' decision to opt out

SEPANG: 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," Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, told the media after performing Friday prayers at the Al-Hidayah Mosque in Desa Pinggiran Putra, here today.

According to 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.

The implementation of 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 the country's economy.

The RFI deadline for the project is Monday, Jan 15.

On another development, the Prime Minister said the government is willing to consider Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's request for a removal and ban of the Man on the Run documentary from Netflix.

"We will consider it," Anwar 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.

The lawyer said the request was made on grounds that the one-hour-and-38-minute documentary is extremely subjudice and contemptuous to his client's ongoing case.

-- BERNAMA

Read the latest news here