New laws for Singapore-Malaysia RTS Link

The Bill also grants Malaysian officers legal protection while on duty in Singapore. They will be treated as public servants under Singapore law, so offences against them are handled the same way as those against local officers.

These arrangements are reciprocal, said MHA, and Singapore officers at the Bukit Chagar station will have similar powers and protections under Malaysian law.

Malaysia passed its own law on March 5 to allow Singapore officers to operate there with the necessary powers and protections.

Beyond border checks, the new Bill also sets out how incidents will be handled.

Singapore and Malaysia will be responsible for safety and security within their own territories. For example, incidents in Malaysia’s designated areas at Woodlands North station will be handled by the Singapore authorities, while Malaysia will handle incidents in Singapore’s designated areas at Bukit Chagar station.

For cross-border incidents, such as on trains travelling between the two countries, both sides can respond. Singapore officers, including those from the police or civil defence force, may act in Malaysia in emergencies to save lives or limit damage.

Malaysian officers may do the same in Singapore under similar conditions. However, neither side’s officers can make arrests in the other country, MHA said.

Both countries have also jointly developed procedures for such situations. “Taken together, these laws and (procedures) will enable effective response to cross-border incidents and help keep travellers safe,” said MHA.

The Bill also covers criminal cases on trains or tracks between the two countries. While both sides will have the authority to investigate, the country where the journey ends has the first right to act, MHA said. However, this can be transferred if the other country has a stronger public interest in handling the case.

MHA said that this approach mirrors arrangements in other cross-border rail systems, such as the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France, and helps avoid uncertainty over where an offence took place.

Singapore and Malaysia will hold a tabletop exercise later in 2026 to test both sides’ readiness for cross-border incidents, the ministry told The Straits Times.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority began training officers for RTS Link operations in April. The programme, which runs until September, covers border clearance and incident management, to equip officers with the skills needed to ensure the RTS Link’s safety and security, MHA said.

The Bill also proposes that data collected by Singapore officers in Malaysia will be treated as if gathered in Singapore and governed by Singapore law, with reciprocal protections for Malaysian officers in Singapore.

It also suggests that Singapore-issued equipment at Bukit Chagar station is “inviolable and immune from seizure, confiscation or any other form of interference by Malaysia”, MHA said.