Malaysia’s king is planning to seek funding from Chinese investors for a multibillion dollar high-speed rail project between the Southeast Asian country and Singapore, according to people familiar with the matter.

Malaysia's Sultan Ibrahim will visit China for a four-day visit, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, with the ceremonial ruler from the southern state of Johor likely to seek support to revive projects boosting its connectivity to neighbouring Singapore.

Analyst says monarch’s first official overseas trip is likely to focus on implementing existing deals rather than announcing new projects.