A:The government has set up a development company called MyHSR (Malaysia HSR) Corporation Sdn Bhd, a delivery agency similar to MRT Corp. The company is headed by Mohd Nur Ismail Mohamed Kamal, formerly the CEO of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), which regulates the sector.
Nur Ismail, an MBA holder from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, is an experienced figure in the national public transportation sector. He was formerly with A.T. Kearney and Accenture. Nur Ismail tells the New Sunday Times that the project’s next major timeline will be the signing of a bilateral agreement between Malaysia and Singapore.
“The agreement will outline the basis of how this railway operates, the security features, Customs and Immigration procedures, service level and the operating structure.
“All these will be discussed, negotiated and agreed upon. And this will determine how we construct and structure the project, and arrange the funding and procurement approach before commissioning and operation.”
He says a clear milestone is to sign the bilateral pact within the first quarter of 2016.
“Our target is by the next Leaders’ Retreat with Singapore, we will have this bilateral agreement signed or signed at the retreat.”
He says the agreement, to be concluded next year, will be a critical factor in deciding how the project proceeds, including how and when the international tender will be called.
“We need to get everything right in 2016, so that when it is opened, it is the best railway, the safest, the most efficient and built with the best value.”