“It is a very ambitious, very complicated and a very expansive project, in terms of scale.
“We have to try our best to anticipate what the likely issues are, when we build it, when we operate it, and have a clear understanding on how we will deal with it if a situation arises,” Lee said in an interview with Malaysian state news agency Bernama on Monday.
“The first thing is to have a sound agreement between the two countries on the basis of how the project is structured, how it is going to be executed and how it is backed by the two governments,” said Lee in the interview, whose transcript was released by the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.
“That is the first requirement, that we have a very good agreement which sets out clearly a sound basis to build and operate the system.”
Both countries have been discussing the agreement for more than a year, he said.
“We are almost there, and I hope that when I meet Prime Minister Najib at the next retreat, we will be able to sign the agreement,” he said.
On Tuesday, Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan met Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wanb
Abdul Rahman said on Instagram they met “to harmonise last minute details of the bilateral agreement on Malaysia-Singapore high-speed rail project before signing ceremony in December”.
A memorandum of understanding for the HSR project was signed in July by Khaw and Abdul Rahman, and it was witnessed by the two prime ministers.
Construction is expected to begin in 2018, with trains running in 2026.
Lee said the project’s execution will be very important – designing it, calling for tenders, evaluating the proposals.
“Several high-speed rail systems in the world have been lobbying very hard to get this contract – the Japanese, the Koreans, the Chinese high-speed rail,” he said.
“Each has its strengths, and we will have a very difficult decision evaluating the bidders who come along and deciding which one is the best overall.”
Asked about the cost-sharing of construction, Lee said things like that had to be clearly specified, and it was one of the items that made the project complicated.
“When you have two authorities involved, you have to decide how to partition, where the line is drawn.
“I build my part, you build your part, and we have to meet at the same point,” he said.
“If it does not meet then we have a big problem,” he said.
“It is complicated but there is a will. And there is a good will, and we would like to make it succeed.”
He was also asked if a third bridge between Singapore and Malaysia – which some in Malaysia had suggested recently – is necessary with the HSR project.
“We are not currently planning for a third bridge,” he said.
“I have seen some statements in Malaysia suggesting one, but the high-speed rail is a very ambitious project. I would focus all my energies doing that one before we launch a new big project.”