The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link reached a different sort of milestone on Thursday (Feb 12), with the passing of the RTS Link Bill 2026 in the Malaysian Parliament.
Speaking at the end of the Bill’s debate on Thursday, Malaysian Deputy Home Affairs Minister Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah assured MPs that Malaysian law enforcement personnel stationed in Singapore will be immune from court prosecution for actions carried out in the course of their official duties.
He emphasised that the Bill has three key areas: strengthening the legal framework around cross-border train operations, complementing existing laws, and safeguarding Malaysia’s sovereignty and security — including Malaysian law enforcement officers on duty in Singapore.
“An officer from Malaysia stationed at the Woodlands North station cannot be prosecuted for actions undertaken as part of his or her official functions.
“However, Malaysian enforcement officers remain subject to Malaysian law,” Dr Shamsul explained, adding that the Bill has a cross-reciprocity clause which removes equivalent protection for Singaporean officers deployed at Bukit Chagar station, if Singapore does not provide equivalent protection, immunities or privileges to Malaysian officers.
Dr Shamsul also said that criminal jurisdiction for offences committed during RTS journeys will depend on where a train journey ends, although cases may also be transferred between the two countries where public interest considerations arise.
On data security, the deputy minister assured the Malaysian Parliament that all data, including confidential information, will be stored at a Malaysian government-regulated data centre, with no access by Singaporean authorities.
A ‘game changer’: Dr Shamsul
Turning to the impact of the RTS Link on the lives of Malaysians who make daily cross-border trips, Dr Shamsul said that the project is a “game changer”.
He pointed to many commuters who have to wake up as early as 3am or 4am every day to avoid traffic, with travel times stretching from two to four hours during peak periods.
“With the RTS Link, the train journey will take only five minutes, with a regular schedule and a capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour. This returns valuable time to the people,” he said, adding that a hundred artificial intelligence-enabled auto gates will be installed at both stations to reduce processing time to a maximum of seven seconds.
About 800 new jobs — across the Malaysian Border Control and Patrol Agency, the Customs Department and the police — will also be created.
These entail personnel to be stationed at both Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North station from October onwards.
Singapore is expected to conclude a similar Bill by June 30 under a supplementary agreement concluded during the 12th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat last December.
In a Facebook post on Feb 4, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority said that the RTS Link is on track to begin operations by the end of this year.
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