Another Malaysian Newspaper reporting about the Bridge, this time
from The Star, and again only a single sentence to tell about the
purpose of the bridge:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/8/2/nation/5974753&sec=nation
Bridge to replace Causeway
Firdaus Abdullah
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 1: Malaysia will not involve Singapore in the
construction of the RM1 billion land and rail bridge that will
replace the Causeway, but has guaranteed the republic of continued
water supply.
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Singapore's
involvement would only serve to delay the project which had to be
redesigned leading to a "crooked bridge".
"No. That (Singapore's involvement) will delay the project. I think
we don't want to involve Singapore in this," the Prime Minister
said at a Press conference after witnessing the signing of the
memorandum of understanding between the Public Works Department
(representing the Government) and Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd for the
construction of the project.
The project, involving the building of a new Customs, Immigration
and Quarantine (CIQ) complex and an elevated 31.5-kilometre bridge,
is scheduled to be completed by Dec 31, 2005.
He had been asked if Malaysia was still open to Singapore's
participation in the project.
Dr Mahathir said Kuala Lumpur had initially proposed the idea to
the republic, but had failed to receive a favourable
response.
"We are forced to build a crooked bridge. It was supposed to be a
straight one replacing the Causeway, but since our proposal had
failed to receive a favourable response from the other side, and
since the Causeway is nostalgic and maybe we could only start the
project in 2007, we have to go on with it on our own. We saw it
heading in the same direction as the water dispute," Dr Mahathir
said.
He said that rather than a protracted discussion which may not
yield anything positive, the Government had chosen to go ahead with
the project by redesigning the bridge.
"So we have to build a crooked bridge. That's our fate. We can't
get co-operation from the people, so we have to accept. This is how
we solve problems." During the ground-breaking ceremony of the
project in Johor Baru on Feb 14, Dr Mahathir had revealed that the
proposal to replace the Causeway had been shot down by Singapore
Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
He had stated that Lee had reasoned that Prime Minister Goh Chok
Tong had nostalgic attachment to the Causeway and that any plan to
remove the link could only be carried out when Goh leaves office in
2007.
"It is not that we are not co-operative. Actually, I had spoken to
(Singapore Senior Minister) Lee Kuan Yew at our private meeting
when he came to see me and he seemed very pleased with the
idea.
"I gave him the map, plan and the design of the proposed elevated
bridge. But later he wrote to me and mentioned again during his
meeting with me that even though he was keen to have the elevated
bridge constructed, (Prime Minister) Goh Chok Tong was opposed to
the idea because the Causeway was nostalgic to him.
"This was in a meeting between us. Normally, I don't reveal such
meetings... no one knows until today but I have to tell the truth
today because even my letters have been published. So I'll have to
set the record straight so that people don't blame us for not
co-operating with Singapore.
"Initially, I was happy (based on Lee's initial response), thinking
that we could co-operate and build the bridge, but according to
Lee, his Prime Minister was nostalgic about the Causeway. So he
suggested that we should start the project after Goh leaves
office," Dr Mahathir had stated.
Gerbang Perdana is 60 per cent owned by Merong Mahawangsa Sdn Bhd,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ibex Corp Amalgamated, 20 per cent
owned by Diversified Resources Bhd and 20 per cent owned by
Transwater Corp Bhd's Detik Nagasari Sdn Bhd.
Dr Mahathir, who is also Finance Minister, said that by partly
removing the Causeway, water would be able to flow freely in the
Straits of Johor, contributing towards the improvement of marine
life and the environment in general.
He said that boats or vessels
less than 25 metres in height could also ply the straits, thus
enabling the movement of cargo between the ports of Pasir Gudang
and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
"Now it's closed (the straits). We only have two tiny culverts
underneath but they are not serving a purpose. With the removal of
the Causeway, water will then flow through and boats not above 25m
height can cross from east to west and vice versa. It will also
facilitate, probably, the movement of some cargo from Pasir Gudang
to PTP if it's worthwhile to do so," he said.
On the water issue, he said Kuala Lumpur would refer the case for
arbitration instead of engaging in further talks or negotiations
with Singapore.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia could not afford to be bogged by
the delay in resolving the dispute.
"We go forward. I think the period of talking and negotiating is
now over. We want to have arbitration. According to the provisions
of the agreement, if there is a dispute that cannot be settled then
we go for arbitration," he said in response to questions on the
deadlocked water pricing dispute.
He said that while Malaysia would continue supplying Singapore with
water as stipulated in the two agreements signed with the Singapore
City Council in 1961 and 1962, the pricing of the commodity would
have to be reviewed accordingly.
To a question, Dr Mahathir said that the Federal Government's
intention to take over the management of water resources from State
Governments had no bearing on the water agreement with
Singapore.
He reiterated that Kuala Lumpur would continue to supply
Singaporeans with water.
"We have promised and we will honour our word," he said.
Dr Mahathir also touched on the need for contractors to provide
professional and quality service, and not opt for quick profit by
selling their projects.
He warned that although he might not be the Prime Minister during
the scheduled completion of the project in 2005, he would still
turn up to inspect the "bridge".
"We don't want to be forced to pay the sub-contractors directly by
the Government. We hope that the principal contractors will manage
the money that they get properly and, of course, since PWD has now
advertised itself as a very efficient and upto-date organisation, I
hope not a single sen will be lost and, right on the dot, I expect
to cross this bridge... if I'm still alive then. I'll be more than
80 at that time, so I may need a tongkat (walking stick).
"I'll be there with my tongkat, if I can't use the tongkat to help
me walk (on the bridge), I'll use the tongkat on the people who
built the bridge," he said in jest.
On the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate for the year, he said 4.5
per cent was achievable as the second quarter growth figure was
expected to be better than expected earlier.
"I think second quarter should be good, should be better than what
we expect. A 4.5 per cent (GDP growth) is achievable unless you
have got some other diseases or war. These are unpredictable
things. If everything else remain as they are, we should achieve
4.5 per cent GDP growth," the Prime Minister said.
Dr Mahathir said earlier projections were thrown off-track due to
the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak which
devastated the economies of East Asian nations.
"At that time, when we were budgeting for this year (2003), we did
not anticipate SARS although we were anticipating the Iraq war. But
as you know, SARS has affected our performance, as much as it has
affected the performance of most countries in East Asia. But we are
not as badly off as some other countries," he said Also present at
the signing ceremony were Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu,
Transport Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy, Second Finance Minister
Datuk Dr Jamaludin Jarjis, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani
Othman, Public Works Department director-general Tan Sri Zaini
Omar, Gerbang Perdana chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail and Gerbang
Perdana managing director Datuk Yahya Jalil.