“The MCA presidential council is of the view that the government should seriously look into this as these are the wishes of the people of Johor,” MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told reporters here today.
“The leaders of the two nations should look into this in order to fulfill the wishes of the people of Malaysia, especially Johor.”
Dr Chua’s remarks come after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pressed Najib today to revive the crooked bridge he had originally proposed.
The former prime minister questioned Najib’s reluctance in continuing the project despite a request by the Sultan of Johor for its revival.
Dr Chua said the construction of a new bridge would expedite communication between the two countries, as well as boost trade, investment and tourism.
In response to the Sultan of Johor’s call for the bridge project to be revived, Najib had said that his administration would look into the matter but did not elaborate further.
At Najib’s recent meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a month ago, both leaders had decided to reduce toll charges at the Second Link, one of two bridges linking Malaysia and Singapore, by 30 per cent starting August 1 this year.
Aside from the toll rate announcement, the two prime ministers had also agreed to move the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) station from Tanjong Pagar to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint (WTCP) by July 1, 2011, as well as setting up a joint venture company called M-S Pte Ltd, to jointly develop the former KTM land.
However, the issue of the crooked bridge, or a third bridge, was not discussed at their meeting.
The proposal to build a bridge to replace the 87-year-old Johor Causeway was first mooted by Dr Mahathir when he was prime minister.
However, relations between the two countries were often chilly during his administration, causing Singapore to shoot down his idea. Plans for the bridge were eventually cancelled by is successor Tun Abdullah Badawi.
Besides easing traffic congestion between Johor Baru and Singapore, the proposed bridge would also facilitate the free flow of water in the Tebrau Straits in addition to allowing ships heading to East Asia to bypass Singapore.
