- Joined
- Oct 30, 2014
- Messages
- 36,768
- Points
- 113
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is looking to begin construction of the third bridge linking Johor to Singapore next year, said Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian.
The controversial bridge to replace the 95-year-old Causeway is among several other mega projects in Johor set to start in 2019, The Star reported.
“The construction might take place next year and it may or may not be crooked as we have yet to finalise the design,” Mr Osman was quoted saying in Johor Baru.
He added that the design for the third link is yet to be finalised and may defer from the original, which was previously touted to be a revival of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s proposal for a “crooked bridge”.
Mr Osman was also reported saying his state administration has given extensive public explanations concerning the third bridge and had not received negative feedback.
The proposal to build a third bridge to Singapore was raised by Mr Osman in late August.
Several Pakatan Harapan (PH) ministers also said that Putrajaya is looking at the possibility of building a third link between the two countries.
Separately, Mr Osman revived the proposal for a crooked bridge early last month, noting that the project would help ease congestion into Singapore and reduce pollution in the Tebrau Straits.
However, Economic Affairs minister Azmin Ali said Mr Osman's suggestion was merely his personal remark and that Putrajaya had not received any proposal on the project, which like any other mega projects, is not a "priority" for the cash strapped government.
The crooked bridge project was first mooted by Dr Mahathir to replace the causeway when he was prime minister during the Barisan Nasional administration.
In 2003, just before ending his 22-year tenure as prime minister, Dr Mahathir announced that Malaysia would go ahead and build a crooked bridge – a six-lane S-shaped highway that would curve in such a way that it allows vessels to pass under it – if Singapore refused to demolish its half of the Causeway.
The project was later rejected by Mr Abdullah Badawi after he became Prime Minister in 2003.
Singapore, however, said on October 18 that it had not received any official proposal from Malaysia to construct a crooked bridge between the two countries. The Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said neither has Singapore received any word on building a new link.
Dr Mahathir has insisted that Putrajaya does not require Singapore's consent to construct the crooked bridge.
"This (proposal) came from Johor. They said they want to build the crooked bridge, but someone said it is not the crooked bridge but a third bridge," he said.
"If we build a third bridge, we will need Singapore's consent… The crooked bridge doesn't involve Singapore at all. So we can build it at any time."
In a further push for the project to take off, Dr Mahathir said last month that Putrajaya can recover the money spent developing the crooked bridge.
And Mr Osman said on Oct 31 that the proposal to build the third bridge will be "discussed by the Johor government" during the Malaysia-Singapore joint ministerial committee for Iskandar Malaysia sometime this month. AGENCIES
https://www.todayonline.com/world/johor-chief-minister-says-third-msia-spore-bridge-start-2019
