Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks to reporters during a press conference at Al-Bukhary Foundation in Kuala Lumpur May 3, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today the government will demand that the 4.5-hectare piece of land in Bukit Chagar, Johor be used for the Johor Baru Rapid Transit System (RTS) if a transfer really did taken place.

Speaking during a press conference today, Dr Mahathir added that currently there is a six-month study on the project to see if it will be continued.

“We will demand the (return of) the land. If there was a transfer by any parties, they must go through the due process. We have not received the full report, just rumours from the press that the land was taken by the Sultan of Johor,” said Dr Mahathir.

When asked if the Johor palace had paid for the land, the PM admitted he was unsure.

However, Dr Mahathir did say that Putrajaya will reimburse the Johor royals if they had actually purchased the land, which is valued between RM495 and RM693 million.

“If he has paid, of course, we have to buy back. But if he hasn’t paid, we won’t buy back, it is our land. We require that land for the purpose of building necessary buildings.

“I don’t think his royal highness would have just seized the land. We will have to file claims for the land,” said Dr Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir also pointed out that the RTS will not be able to solve the traffic congestion between Johor Baru and Singapore.

“If we build the train, the train cannot carry all the passengers going to and from Singapore. And it cannot carry all the motorcycles. The train is limited in terms of capacity,” he said.

Dr Mahathir also dismissed claims that there was tension between the Johor royals and Putrajaya.

Earlier, it was reported that the land was transferred to Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government between 2017 and 2018.

In 2012, the plot was one of five lots received by the federal government as part of a land swap deal to construct the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Johor Baru.

A source familiar with the matter said the federal government stumbled upon the “problem” that one of five plots of land for the RTS Link project has been transferred to Sultan Ibrahim as it was reviewing the project.

“The land was one of five plots that the federal government received from the Johor government in 2012 as part of a land swap deal to build the then Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) in Johor Baru,” said the source to Malay Mail today on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

This came as Transport Minister Anthony Loke on April 20 gave his assurance that Malaysia is committed to ensure that the Johor Bahu-Singapore Link project will be continued.

The source said it was initially unaware of the land ownership status as it was set to review the RTS Link project with the construction of the 4km rail link between Johor Baru and Singapore.

Checks revealed that the land, that is also located next to the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, has now been leased out until November 2020 for a company to operate a parking lot.

Malay Mail is also waiting for an official reply from the Johor state government on the matter.