Yuki Lei in Malaysia
A business delegation of the Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) continued yesterday its fact-finding trip aiming to deepen its understanding of Malaysia’s economic development when the Malaysian government arranged for its MRT Corp Sdn Bhd public transportation giant to give the delegation members an in-depth presentation on its ongoing Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project between Malaysia’s state of Johor Bahru and Singapore.
According to the project operator, the four-kilometre-long RTS Link will run from Johor Bahru in Malaysia to Singapore’s Woodland North Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, with an estimated capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in one direction, and about 150,000 passengers per day. With the planned completion of the Johor Bahru Rapid Transit (SBRT) system in late 2026, including the building of a new Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) Complex next to the station at Bukit Chagar in Malaysia, the project is aimed to ease the traffic congestion at the Johor-Singapore Causeway, strengthen the connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore, enhance people-to-people contacts and create social and economic co-benefits via passport-free travel between Singapore and the southern Malaysian state of Johor by QR code. The completion of the RTS Link project stood at 83 percent as of last month.
The Johor-Singapore Causeway is strategically located in the state of Johor, just a causeway away from Singapore, which has made possible the launch of “friendly access” arrangements and an efficient transportation system that allows residents and tourists alike to travel between Malaysia and Singapore with ease, according to the RTS Link operator.
MAICC Chairman Kelvin Tan Hai Ching has told the Post and Macao Daily News – Macau’s top-selling English- and Chinese-language newspapers, respectively – he believes that the RTS Link will be an efficient transportation system enabling people working in Singapore to choose to live in Malaysia, and thus enjoying the lower cost of living and tax advantages there, as it is expected to take a mere 30 minutes to travel from the southern Malay peninsula’s state of Johor to the Lion City.
The delegation ended their tour of Malaysia yesterday with a visit to Forest City – an integrated residential development and privately developed town, where members of the delegation were briefed about the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, which, the programme representatives said, is a resettlement policy, not an immigration policy, i.e., applicants will be granted a visa to stay in Malaysia for an indefinite period without giving up their nationality.
The delegation started its two-nation fact-finding trip on Thursday, and its over 40 members will return to Macau today.
Members of the Macao ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) business delegation pose after yesterday’s visit to Forest City in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia. – Photo: MAICC
