SINGAPORE - Singapore has not heard "anything officially" from Malaysia on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Woodlands and Johor Baru since its new government came into power.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that on May 30, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke had told Channel NewsAsia that "the RTS will proceed", although Malaysia would "have to re-study the project in terms of cost and so on".

"The following day, he also told our Shin Min newspaper that he hoped the project could be accelerated," Mr Khaw said on Monday (July 9). "However, we have not heard anything officially from the Malaysians on their intentions on the RTS Link."

Singapore's SMRT Corp and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia Berhad was to have incorporated a joint venture company to operate the RTS Link by June 30, 2018.

"That did not happen as Prasarana had suspended discussions with SMRT after Malaysia's general election," Mr Khaw revealed.

"This means that both countries should now proceed to call an open, international tender to appoint the RTS Link operator, unless we mutually agree on a postponement of the deadline."

He added: "We look forward to the completion and operation of the RTS Link, which will be able to transport 10,000 travellers per direction per hour between Singapore and JB."