Dr Joewono Prasetijo, the head of the Industry Centre of Excellence for Railway (ICoE-Rel) at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, said it was clear that the termination was obliged due to the proposed changes, done in reference to the current economic situation. PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has proposed alternatives to lower the cost of the high speed rail (HSR) project from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore when the Covid-19 pandemic showed no signs of slowing down last June. As negotiations between Malaysia and Singapore fell through, the bilateral agreement lapsed on Dec 31,2020, leading to the termination of the mega project. Experts believed the latest development would enable the government to go back to the drawing board while avoiding a huge expenditure amid the unprecedented economic uncertainties.