Singapore’s proposal to purchase two plots of land owned by Malaysia, which will be affected by the Woodlands Checkpoint (WCP) redevelopment, is still being deliberated by the Malaysian authorities.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Azfar Mohamad Mustafar said it is logical for Singapore to buy the land.
However, whether or not Malaysia wants to sell or swap them, which both countries have done before, has yet to be decided.
“Singapore has written to Malaysia (for the purchase of the land). The relevant authorities in Malaysia are deliberating and looking into it. So far, we have not received any feedback from the relevant authority,” he told the Malaysian press yesterday.
Azfar added that all government land abroad is registered under the Federal Lands Commissioner (Pesuruhjaya Tanah Persekutuan).
Singapore expressed its intention last year to buy the freehold lands which were sized about 2.3 acres in total.
The high commissioner had proposed a land swap for the said plots, but in the end, the federal government would decide on the matter.
In September 2010, Singapore and Malaysia sealed a land swap deal to resolve the acquisition of Malayan railway land in the republic, which involved three plots of land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji, and Woodlands, respectively, as well as another three in Bukit Timah.
In place, Singapore offered in exchange four parcels of land in Marina South and two parcels in Ophir-Rochor.
The Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has recently said it will be redeveloping WCP for a more sustainable and long-term solution to address the chronic congestion at the land crossing which connects the republic with Malaysia.
The redeveloped WCP will be operationalised progressively starting in 2028.
ICA said it has conducted extensive feasibility and technical studies to determine the optimal amount of land needed to meet future demands.
The land required for the redevelopment of WCP can only be met through land acquisition and land reclamation.
When asked whether Malaysia still owns land in Singapore, Azfar said: “We (the Federal government) have pockets of land around the island.
“One of them is an acre of land at Holland Village,” he said, adding this excludes land in the republic owned by Johor.
