Former Johor menteri besar Khaled Nordin has lashed out at his successor Osman Sapian (above) for not looking after the state's interests following Putrajaya's move to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project.

Khaled said Johor would have been a major beneficiary from the HSR project and its cancellation has severely impacted the state's growth potential.

"Not only did the Johor menteri besar not make an official statement but he did not state the Johor government's stand on the matter.

"If the state government accepts every decision by the federal government without taking into consideration the state's views, then they will have a difficult time fighting for the needs of Johoreans, not just as for the HSR, but also in other issues," Khaled said in a statement today.

The HSR would have had three stations in Johor, namely at Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat, and Muar.

Citing the Muar station as an example, Khaled said the rail project would have boosted the surrounding area's profile as an education hub as well as help develop its budding furniture industry.

Putrajaya scrapped the HSR as a cost-cutting measure, citing a possible bill of RM110 billion.

However, Khaled said that the cost of such a project in the future would be even more expensive.

"Simply put, there is no perfect time to do a mega-project like the HSR. It is a necessity and should not be a political sacrifice," he said.