SINGAPORE: With the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link nearly 50% complete and set to launch in 2026, Singapore has formed a task force to help locals and businesses seize opportunities and benefit from it, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced this on March 16 at an event in Woodlands North Plaza, where residents could claim vouchers to buy daily staples for S$1.
According to The Straits Times, Mr Ong said he asked Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong to help set up the task force to “seize” RTS opportunities while also finding ways to support those affected.
Mr Ong said he is closely following the project as Woodlands North station, the rail link’s terminus, is in Sembawang GRC.
While the link may draw Singaporeans to Johor Bahru for shopping, Singapore could rejuvenate its retail areas and heartland centres to attract Malaysian shoppers as well, said Mr Ong, who is an MP for Sembawang GRC.
However, he acknowledged that some businesses could be impacted, especially those selling similar products or food as vendors in Johor Bahru.
The task force will study how Singapore can leverage the RTS Link’s potential and benefits to rejuvenate its heartland. It will also look into opportunities for local businesses with the improved connectivity and ease of travel the rail link will bring, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on March 16.
The ministry added that the task force will consult heartland enterprises and local businesses and plans to release its findings and recommendations in 2026.
By the end of 2026, the RTS Link is expected to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry and task force chairman Alvin Tan said preliminary work began in November 2024, including meetings with MTI staff, grassroots leaders, the Housing Board, Enterprise Singapore, and merchants’ associations.
Speaking at the Woodlands event, Mr Tan said the task force would take its time to “make sure” it listens to the merchant association and develops a plan to ensure everyone “can reap the benefits”.
The task force includes members from MTI, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the National Development, Manpower and Health ministries, Enterprise Singapore, HDB, and Woodlands Health.
According to MTI, Sembawang GRC MP Mariam Jaafar and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Hany Soh will work with the task force to engage businesses, heartland shops, and merchants’ associations on ways to revitalise Singapore’s heartland. /TISG
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