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Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail Legal Challenge Dismissed by Federal Court

In a significant ruling, the Federal Court of Malaysia has concluded the legal challenge against the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project. On May 27, 2025, the court dismissed Mohd Hatta Sanuri's application for leave to appeal, thereby affirming previous court decisions which deemed his suit non-justiciable and devoid of reasonable cause of action.

The three-member bench, led by Justice Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof, was unanimous in their decision, emphasizing that the legal questions posed failed to meet the threshold under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964. The judge pointed out that the matter was interlocutory and did not call for novel legal issues or questions of public importance.

Justice Zabariah observed that the issues raised, particularly those pertaining to locus standi and justiciability, had been settled in existing case law. She further noted that the court takes a serious stance on baseless legal claims and expressed concern over the imprecise and verbose nature of questions of law submitted by Mohd Hatta.

The dismissed application effectively brings an end to Mohd Hatta's legal challenge, originally filed against the government, former prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, and former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The legal saga began when Mohd Hatta filed a lawsuit in December 2022, aiming to annul the project's cancellation and demanding compensation of RM1 million for each Malaysian affected by its termination. The High Court had earlier struck out the suit on December 15, 2023, following the court's approval of the government's application to dismiss the claim. The Court of Appeal upheld this decision on January 16, 2024.

While the HSR project's future remains uncertain, speculation swirls around the potential involvement of Chinese state-owned enterprises in its revival. However, as of now, there are no confirmed developments regarding the project's revival.

The Malaysian government's policy-and-legislation on the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project has been upheld by the Federal Court following the dismissal of a legal challenge.
The dismissal of the application by Mohd Hatta Sanuri in Malaysia's high court effectively ends his legal challenge against several government officials, including former prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The dismissal of the lawsuit against the HSR project's cancellation also marks a significant decision for the Malaysian law, as the court reiterated its stance on not entertaining baseless legal claims.
The court's ruling on the HSR project dismisses a suit that was originally filed in December 2022, seeking to annul the project's cancellation and demand compensation for Malaysians affected by its termination.
Despite speculation surrounding the potential involvement of Chinese state-owned enterprises in reviving the HSR project, no confirmed developments regarding the project's revival have been announced as of current news.