DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong says the party is supportive of the idea of a third bridge to neighbouring Singapore, but that a crooked bridge as mooted by Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his first tenure as prime minister is not an “immediate priority”.
It has been reported that Johor plans to build a third bridge in Sungai Rengit in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi district to ease traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link Crossing.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian said the bridge would link the southeast part of Johor with Pulau Ubin in Singapore.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, Liew, who is deputy defence minister, said it was important to ensure that traffic flow on both sides of the causeway is smooth, adding that this was what the government should focus on.
“We also think there is a need to speed up construction of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System linking Singapore rail facilities to Johor,” he said, adding that travellators or moving walkways would help speed up travel as well.
“The crooked bridge is not an immediate agenda,” he said when asked to comment on reports that Osman had proposed the revival of the idea.
Dr Mahathir’s successor, Abdullah Badawi, decided against the project, as did Najib Razak who succeeded Abdullah.
Liew said any idea could be considered, but immediate issues should be the focus.
“This is why DAP is prepared to support the idea of a third bridge. But we think that the crooked bridge is not an immediate priority.”
Yesterday, it was reported that Johor has asked the federal government to revive the crooked bridge project.
“We have proposed it to the prime minister and we hope that he will approve our request,” Osman told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
He said the crooked bridge would help ease congestion into Singapore and reduce pollution in the Tebrau Straits.
According to Osman, a Malaysian delegation headed by Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali will be heading to Singapore either on Oct 27 or Oct 28 to discuss the proposal.
The crooked bridge is 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.
As for the present Johor-Singapore Causeway, Osman said there were plans to widen the pathway to create pedestrian walkways and to allow more feeder buses to ferry people.
Besides the crooked bridge, Osman said, the delegation to Singapore will also discuss the third bridge proposal and review the price of water supplied to the island republic.
Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali today downplayed Osman’s suggestion to revive the crooked bridge to Singapore, saying the current economic situation is not conducive for it.
The economic affairs minister also said that Osman’s suggestion was merely the latter’s personal remark.
“I don’t think it’s the right time for the project,” he told reporters.
He said the crooked bridge project had yet to be presented at the federal level.
Azmin said major infrastructure projects such as the crooked bridge is not a priority for the Pakatan Harapan government.
He stressed that the priority, for the time being, was on projects that could directly benefit the people such as schools and hospitals.
“It was proposed by the Johor menteri besar but certainly, we have mentioned on many occasions that our fiscal situation, at present, isn’t good. So we need to prioritise infrastructure projects.
“But I’m sure the state government will raise this at the federal level. Once we receive the proposal, the ministry will look into this matter to see whether we have the capacity at this point of time to continue this project or if we can consider it at a point when the situation is much better for us,” he said.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, however, declined to weigh in on the issue, stating that questions were best directed at Osman.
“It came from the Johor menteri besar so it’s best to ask him. I was not informed of this matter,” he told journalists at the Parliament lobby.
Earlier, Osman had said: “At an Iskandar Regional Development Authority meeting last month, he (Dr Mahathir) asked me whether Johor still needed the crooked bridge.
“I said, ‘It’s up to you, it’s your idea. If you say you want to continue, I’ll just follow.’ It has a lot of benefits.”