Malaysia didn't sell KTMB land to Singapore

Allegations that Malaysia sold away its railway land in Tanjung Pagar to Singapore are not true, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot Jaem said KTM Berhad's (KTMB) land there was leased to the Federated Malay States by the Straits Settlement government for the purpose of rail services on Oct 25, 1918.

"The Singapore Railway land leased was 434.26 acres (173.7 hectare). Out of this, 352.52 acres (141 hectares) was to be held by the Federal Land Commissioner for a period of 999 years while 81.74 acres (32.7 hectares) for perpetuity.

"If the land were no longer to be used for rail services, it has to be returned to the respective straits settlement (Singapore) without any compensation whatsoever.

"As such, such allegations are not true because the land is not ours," he said when replying to a question from Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian).

He also said that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was scheduled to make a working visit to Singapore within the next three months to finalise details on the agreement reached between the two countries on the KTMB Land in Tanjong Pagar.

Najib and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong reached an agreement to resolve outstanding issues on the KTMB land in Tanjong Pagar during his visit to the city state in May.

Lee made a reciprocal visit to Kuala Lumpur last month, among others to discuss further the "Points of Agreement" between the two countries on the KTMB land in Tanjong Pagar.

- Bernama