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DAP calls for talks between Malaysia and Singapore on the joint construction of a new bridge to replace the Johore-Singapore causeway as a RM1.1 billion crooked half-bridge by Malaysia will be a lasting and shameful symbol of �crooked� Malaysia-Singapore relations as well as a �crooked� ASEANMedia Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Saturday): After one week, most Malaysians still cannot get over the feeling that the RM1.1 billion �crooked� half-bridge to replace half of the Johore Causeway announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is a ridiculous, irrational and even crazy idea, not in engineering terms, but in its very concept which offends common sense and cannot benefit the ordinary people, Malaysia-Singapore relations or ASEAN. The elevated �crooked� half-bridge will be built only on the Malaysian side or half of the 900-metre Causeway to allow free passage of watercraft and water currents of the Johore Straits, but because of the very short distance of 450 metres from the Johore/Singapore boundary, the �crooked� half-bridge has to be curved and extended more than thrice the distance to 1.4-kilometre so that heavy vehicles such as lorries can cope with a maximum incline of 4.2 degrees. Mahathir announced last week that Malaysia will not involve Singapore in the construction of the RM1.1 billion �crooked� half-bridge to replace Malaysia�s half of the causeway as Singapore�s involvement would only serve to delay the project. This is not good enough an excuse to proceed with the �crooked� half-bridge, which will make Malaysia, Singapore and ASEAN the laughing-stocks in the world as it will be a standing symbol of their chronic inability to co-operate whether at the bilateral and regional levels � especially when there is no immediate urgency to start work on the project, as the RM2 billion Johore-Singapore Second Link completed more than five years ago is still grossly under-utilised. I find most shocking the statement by the new Transport Minister, Datuk Chan Kong Choy the next day that the design and construction of the �crooked� half-bridge would not be altered in any manner even if Singapore should agree to jointly develop the Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu (GSB) project, and that the possibility of �straightening� the new GSB bridge was nil! (Sin Chew 3.8.03) DAP calls on Mahathir to clarify whether Kong Choy�s haughty and arrogant statement correctly represented the Malaysian Government stand � that even if Singapore agrees to jointly develop the Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu project and replace the present causeway with a straight bridge, it is still �no go� as the �crooked� half-bridge must still be built. If so, this could only mean that there will have to be another �crooked� half bridge at the Singapore end to complete a �double crooked� bridge to replace the present causeway - undoubtedly making it the only one of its kind in the world to join a 900-metre distance with a 2.8-kilometre �double-crooked� bridge! This does not make sense to Malaysians or for Malaysia-Singapore or ASEAN relations. ASEAN Finance Ministers have just met in Manila declaring their commitment to long-term economic integration and to forge closer links with big neighbours, China, Japan and South Korea undeterred by the bomb blasts in Jakarta � but the whole seriousness of such ASEAN declarations must be called in question by the announcement of the �crooked� half bridge to replace half of the Johore Causeway. DAP calls for the suspension of all work on the �crooked� half-bridge and for talks between Malaysia and Singapore on the joint construction of a new bridge to replace the Johore-Singapore causeway as a RM1.1 billion crooked half-bridge by Malaysia will be a lasting and shameful symbol of �crooked� Malaysia-Singapore relations as well as a �crooked� ASEAN. Both countries should submit reports to the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh next month as to why both countries could not co-operate to build a bridge to replace the 80-year-old causeway to reflect the spirit of ASEAN, which marked its 36th anniversary only yesterday. Alternatively, ASEAN should set up a mediation committee to secure Malaysia-Singapore agreement on joint construction of a bridge to replace the 80-year-old causeway to protect the good name of ASEAN and spare it from international mockery of �crooked� half-bridges to link ASEAN member nations. (9/8/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |