Chinese firms have made clear their intention to secure the 350km rail line, which will cut rail travelling time and spur economic development along the corridor.
Tokyo’s interest in the HSR project ballooned after the cancellation of TRX City Sdn Bhd’s proposed 60% stake sale to IWH CREC Sdn Bhd to develop Bandar Malaysia — which will house the KL-SG-HSR link.
In May, commercial attaché for the Japanese Embassy in KL Sosuke Tanaka said the award of the HSR contract to Japan will serve as an impetus for an influx of new Japanese investments into Malaysia.
Japanese companies were also engaged in the construction of the MRT project. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd was tasked with the construction of the 51km Sungai Buloh-Kajang line.
Also, six Singapore companies, brought together by International Enterprise Singapore, announced their intention to partner each other with plans to team up with international players to jointly participate in HSR projects, starting with the KL-SG-HSR.