KUALA LUMPUR, 8 May 2018:
Japan is offering advanced facial recognition technology – which would ensure smooth travelling between the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore – as part of its bid for the KL-Singapore high speed rail (HSR) project.
Japan Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Makio Miyagawa said the technology offered by a Japanese company would help to ensure swift immigration clearance when commuters travel between Malaysia and Singapore.
“If commuters need to take a long time in immigration, than a high-speed rail will not be efficient and beneficial for the commuters.”
Miyagawa said one of Japan’s strength in its bid for the project is its offer of a highly flexible financial package – which would include the issuance of sukuk bonds and an overall costing that will cover the kind of train services sought and the immigration systems that will be needed.
The ambassador added that Japan’s bullet train (shinkansen)’s accident-free record since its introduction in 1964, would also be another strong factor in its bid for the estimated RM50-RM60 billion project.
“Our country is the first in the world to invent this high speed rail technology, and nowadays it could run between 250kph and 320kph. The shinkansen safety system itself ensures that the train will not collide with other trains using the same rail.”
Miyagawa said lighter rolling stocks offered by the Japanese would also mean that much smaller amount of electricity will be needed to run the HSR, while ensuring a longer lasting rail – due to less friction between rail and train.
The envoy said Japan would be also happy to transfer its shinkansen technology to Malaysia and Singapore to ensure experts from both countries would be able to operate the system by themselves from the get-go.
“We have already offered the shinkansen technology to Taiwan, and they are now operating the system themselves. Also, currently more than 150 of our experts are working for transfer of technology with India for its 500km HSR between Mumbai and Ahmadabad.”
Bids for the KL-Singapore HSR project are due to be submitted by the middle of this year and the successful bidder will be known by year-end.
Other bids are expected to come from China, South Korea and France for the project that is expected to be operational by 2026.
The 350km HSR is intended to cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes from the present four to five hours.
– Bernama