Leaders from Singapore and Malaysia gave a fresh push to a languishing proposal to build a high-speed rail link between the city-state and Kuala Lumpur by 2020, a sign that economic interests are aligning for neighbours with a prickly history. "In Singapore, we have essentially run out of space, and that is already a hindrance in trying to get companies to invest here," said SMU Assistant Professor of Law Eugene Tan. "Malaysia could actually become a de facto hinterland, and that gives Singapore more economic depth," he said.