The Johor government is awaiting the federal government’s decision on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project linking Singapore and Johor Bahru, said Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

He said an announcement would be made once the federal government has decided whether to proceed with the project or otherwise.

However, until now the state government had yet to be informed whether or not the project would proceed, he told reporters after opening the Johor Agriculture Expo and State Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen’s Day 2019 at Dataran Penggaram in Batu Pahat today.

Also present was state Islamic Religious Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chairperson Tosrin Jarvanti.

Sahruddin said this when asked on the status of the project which has been suspended for six months from April 1 to allow Malaysia to decide whether to proceed with it or not.

An English language daily today quoted sources as saying that Malaysia had requested for a further one-month extension of the suspension to decide on the project.

The 4km RTS link - which would connect Woodlands North station on Singapore's Thomson-East Coast MRT Line to Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru - was targeted to begin operations by Dec 31, 2024.

Meanwhile, Sahruddin called on all government departments and agencies to find ways to attract more young people to venture into the agriculture sector through the use of digital technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0 initiatives.

He said this is necessary because Johor has a high rate of abandoned land.

“This vast land should be developed with large and moderate-scale agricultural projects,” he said, suggesting that owners of the abandoned or idle land lease their property to agriculture graduates to carry out projects with the private sector. - Bernama