Former Malaysian prime ministers Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin have been sued over the termination of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project between Malaysia and Singapore.
Mr. Mohd Hatta Sanuri, the plaintiff, had earlier sued the Malaysian federal government in 2021 when it abandoned its application to challenge the International Court of Justice's ruling on Pulau Batu Puteh, better known as Pedra Branca, which had been given to Singapore.
On December 30, 2017, Mr. Mohd Hatta filed a summons against the former prime ministers and two other former ministers for alleged negligence and wrongdoing before the High Court in Malaysia.
He asked that the defendants resume the HSR project and compensate each Malaysian with RM1 million (about S$308,000).
A copy of the writ of summons and supporting documents viewed by Malay Mail also named Mustapa Mohamed, Wee Ka Siong, and the Malaysian government as the third, fourth, and fifth defendants, respectively.
According to the case, Mr. Mohd Hatta is represented by the legal office of Messrs. Mohaji, Hazury, and Ismail of Kuala Selangor.
Mr. Mohd Hatta said in court documents that Dr. Mahathir was incompetent and committed malfeasance in office when he ordered the suspension of the HSR project on September 5, 2018, resulting in the Malaysian government having to pay Singapore RM46 million in compensation by the end of January 2019.
He stated that Mr. Muhyiddin, as the then-prime minister, had also committed negligence and misconduct in office by cancelling the HSR project on December 31, 2020.
Mr. Mohd Hatta alleged that the ruling led the Malaysian government to pay Singapore more than RM320 million in compensation for the termination of the bilateral agreement between the two nations the next year.
Mr. Mohd Hatta alleged, in addition to the two former prime ministers, that Mr. Mustapa was equally careless and had committed malfeasance in office in respect to the postponement of the HSR project.
Regarding the administration of the HSR project, he further charged that Mr. Wee acted negligently and engaged in misconduct in public office.
Mr. Mohd Hatta stated in his statement of claim that the losses suffered by all Malaysians as a result of the termination of the HSR project included the loss of foreign investors' confidence in the country, the loss of 70,000 potentially high-paying jobs from the project, and the missed opportunity to earn RM70 billion in profit from the construction and operation of the HSR project.
In addition, he detailed losses of almost RM366 million as a result of the Malaysian government's need to pay Singapore.
Mr. Mohd Hatta demanded that the defendants must pay severe and exemplary damages to each and every Malaysian for their unconstitutional, unfair, and anti-public-interest conduct.
Mr. Mohd Hatta seeks many reliefs, including an order forcing the defendants to pay RM1 million in damages and compensation to each and every Malaysian.
He also requested that the court order all five defendants to produce a written explanation for the project's delay, cancellation, and termination.
On January 20, the Attorney General's Office submitted a memorandum of presence in court on behalf of the defendants in the complaint.
The High Court has scheduled case management for February 2.
According to checks conducted by Malay Mail, Mr. Mohd Hatta is a member of the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council. Recently, the 46-year-old was reappointed for a second term.
According to reports, he is also a member of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), a coalition party led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Malaysia and Singapore signed bilateral HSR agreements on December 13, 2016.
The 350-kilometer train connection was expected to be finished in 2026, decreasing travel time between the two locations to 90 minutes.
The project was placed on hold in September 2018, with both parties agreeing to postpone the RM110 billion bilateral project until December 31, 2020.
Malaysia and Singapore jointly announced the suspension of the HSR project on January 1, 2021, as there was no agreement on the modifications made by Malaysia and the agreement had expired on December 31, 2020.
Malaysia declared in March 2021 that it has paid S$102,8 million to Singapore for the costs spent by the republic for the development of HSR and the associated delays.
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