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Saturday July 3, 2010On track for a bridgeBy FARIK ZOLKEPLI
farik@thestar.com.my
JOHOR BARU: A new bridge to Singapore is in sight following the points of agreement (POA) on the KTMB land reached recently between the republic and Malay sia.
Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad said the agreement could be viewed as a precedent towards improved bilateral ties, including possible cooperation in building a bridge to replace the Causeway.
“The two countries have worked together before in building the Second Link.
“The POA, which had been stalled for 20 years, has been solved and I see it as a sign of better ties between the two countries,” he told The Star, adding he was optimistic that Malaysia and Singapore could work together on various other efforts, including building a new bridge.
During his term of office as prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had proposed a “scenic bridge” that would wind its way halfway across the Tebrau Straits to replace the Johor side of the Causeway.
Also referred to as the “crooked” bridge, the project was aborted during the tenure of his successor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, recently called on the Federal Government to build a bridge connecting the two countries to replace the Causeway.
In response, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said the Government would study the matter.
Commenting on the Ruler’s call, Shahrir said the Sultan had meant a full bridge, not a crooked bridge as proposed by Dr Mahathir.
“The scenic bridge was proposed when ties between the two countries were at the lowest ebb following Singapore’s reluctance to cooperate on building a full bridge.
“However, now after improved relations, I do not discount the possibility of the two countries working together to build a full bridge,” added Shahrir.
On the decision to reduce toll rates at the Second Link, he said it was also a sign of improved ties between Malaysia and the republic.
Johor Baru MCA public complaints bureau deputy chief Michael Tay said the Government should assess the feasibility of building a new bridge.
“The Government should work out its finances to determine whether the new bridge will be cost-effective.
“I am not against building a new bridge but it should be under a rational budget to avoid overspending,” he said when asked to comment on the issue. |
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