KUALA LUMPUR (Apr 29): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to announce details of the long awaited high speed rail (HSR) linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore after the annual Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat next week, said Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal.

"There will be a leaders' retreat next week. It will be unfair for me to comment on the development of the HSR as it is still in the government-to-government discussion. Let's just wait for now," he told reporters after "The Rail Challenge: Taking City From Good to Great" forum organised by the Performance and Delivery Management Unit (Pemandu) here today.

"It is premature for me to talk about it. Buy us some time until the announcement by the prime minister," he added.

Najib is scheduled to attend the Sixth Malaysia-Singapore Annual Leaders' Retreat in Singapore starting May 5, 2015, which will be hosted by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

SPAD is tasked by the government to prepare a feasibility study on the proposed HSR link, which will reduce the 300km journey from five hours to about 90 minutes.

On April 27, 2015, Singapore's Business Times had reported that the HSR project - touted to cost RM40 billion - is expected to miss its 2020 deadline by two years to 2022.

Citing unnamed sources, the business paper said 2022 may be a more realistic deadline as there were many unresolved issues in the mammoth project.