Dr Mahathir renews pressure on Najib to revive crooked bridge

By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pressed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today to revive the crooked bridge he had proposed to replace the Johor Causeway connecting Malaysia and Singapore.

The former prime minister questioned Najib’s reluctance in continuing the project despite a request by the Sultan of Johor for Putrajaya for its revival.

“The question that many have asked me, and I am convinced that this is also being asked by a majority of people, is why Datuk Seri Najib as the powerful prime minister is not willing to continue building this bridge?” asked Dr Mahathir in a posting on his popular blog today.

“Is Najib tied in a deal with the fifth prime minister? What is the status of this deal?” he added, referring to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi who had cancelled the crooked bridge project.

The proposal to build a “crooked” bridge to replace the ageing Causeway, linking peninsular Malaysia to the island republic, was mooted by Dr Mahathir when he was the prime minister.

However, relations between the two countries were often chilly during his administration, causing Singapore to shoot down his idea which was eventually cancelled by his successor Abdullah.

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.

“I have never heard objections from Malaysians towards the bridge project in replacing the Johor Causeway,” said Dr Mahathir.

“There is also a letter from the previous prime minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong, that was published by the Singaporean government in the book ‘Water Talks – If Only It Could’ that he never objected the building of the bridge in Malaysian waters if it was so desired by the Malaysian government,” he added.

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 land that is left behind.

However, the issue of the crooked bridge or a third bridge was not discussed in their meeting.

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Comments (22) Add Comment

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written by Juzan, July 05, 2010 21:40:48

I'm out of words...huhuhu
I hope everything goes smoothly smilies/grin.gif

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written by Logger123, July 01, 2010 12:14:40

Anyone who drives using the causeway knows that the jam is caused by the bottleneck at Singapore customs. So many lanes exiting into a single lane facing a traffic light going into the BKE and Woodlands.

Coming back into JB, the jam is caused again by the thousands of cars queing up at the Singapore immigration. Malaysia side got small time jamlah at 6pm onwards, but the major part of the jam is over at the Singapore side.

So even if a multistory 10 lane bridge were to be built, the jam would still be there. Best to do an extension off the MRT from Singapore into JB CIQ.

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written by popuri, July 01, 2010 10:36:03

Pak Lah stopped the project for a good reason, now stop pressuring Jibby to finish what you've started.

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written by No nonsense, June 30, 2010 23:01:16

“I have never heard objections from Malaysians towards the bridge project in replacing the Johor Causeway,” said Dr Mahathir.

It is not that you have NEVER heard objections from Malaysians it is you who refuse to hear them. Dont blame them when you yourself is the one to be blamed for every damn things that happen to malaysians. Maybe you are bloody deaf. Time is everyone dont want to hear you anymore.

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written by fireduck, June 30, 2010 22:56:07

Spend a million ringgit and build him the monument lah. What more fitting monument can we give him? A crooked bridge for a crooked man. Better still, make available a spot in the crooked bridge for him to be entombed as it will then truly be his crooked monument.

Hear over the grapevine that Abdullah asked " “Is Najib tied in a deal with the fourth prime minister? What is the status of this deal?” he added, referring to former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamed who had pushed for the crooked bridge project." smilies/wink.gif

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written by Duke, June 30, 2010 22:40:57

This fcuking mamak tongkang will not 'shut his eyes' until he has collected his commission.
That much I am pretty sure

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written by BukitBeruntung, June 30, 2010 21:08:55

We hear you, s/o Kutty. There are plenty of $$$ to be made from the crooked bridge. You and your BUMNO should not passed up on this golden opportunity.

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written by truthbespoken, June 30, 2010 19:53:10

Mahathir is using old tricks on Najib. He got Abdullah down quickly. No mercy, see! He may want the same to happen to Najib for his son's sake. This man need to be put down for forever creating problems. Rosmah, up to you to tell off the old man before he 'harms' your husband. You're the best person, urrr, woman to deal with the stubborn old man! Do him in before he gets both of you out! No mercy too, remember?

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written by Better My, June 30, 2010 19:11:28

Re: written by jalapeno, June 30, 2010 17:06:30
If I was Najib, I would revive the project but change all the Main Contractors and sub contractors to give Mamak Kutty a massive heart attack."

Thats is the crux of the whole issue. Once the man contactor are changed, with sob FOC GRB GTM fingers plug, wherever they are inserted in the deal, pulled out, that could be the time when his heart seizure srikes. . Coukd then be the end of his-story.

Only an open PR Federal government is able to look through with fine tooth-comb, whatever deal is done. Others are just hyprocritical pretenders

Who in KL PKR is responsble for Sabah PKR?? Are PAS/PKR/Dap making incursions to the natives in Sabah/Sarawak?

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written by NSTPravda, June 30, 2010 18:46:46

You want the crooked bridge? Elementary Matson, just threaten to show certain photos of a certain C4d woman with our pink pouting, Qur'an swearing lip of a PM, and voila, you shall have the bridge, crooked or straight or even paved with gold. Singapore got their cut, so did the French, the Russians and the Israelis. Al-UMNOdollarlah!
smilies/tongue.gif

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written by Voter get Voters 1, June 30, 2010 17:45:59

I really wish he drop dead ....go n see St Peter asap...Oooopsi St .Peter wun open his gate 4 a crooked evil racist B#@Stard....PURE un adultared EVIL

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written by jalapeno, June 30, 2010 17:06:30

If I was Najib, I would revive the project but change all the Main Contractors and sub contractors to give Mamak Kutty a massive heart attack.

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written by Oscar Winner, June 30, 2010 16:36:27

Tun, very simple, while there's time before BN is toppled in GE13, work harder now to oust Najis (I don't mean literally sit on toilet bowl lah) and get your son Mookris to be PM, then approve the construction of the bridge la. You don't need me to tell you that, afterall you are good at plotting, aren't you?.

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written by justice seeker, June 30, 2010 16:30:50

Dr Mahathir renews pressure on Najib to revive crooked bridge

THAT'S IT. SQUEEZE HIS NUTS AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE AND YOU WILL JOLT HIM
TO TAKE ACTION.

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written by TaiLow, June 30, 2010 16:26:17

Aiyaa...you also dont know how angry i am er, wasting my breath talking to these Singaporean computer nerd like apanama sien loong or who ah?...he thaught his IT better than me wer! eh i got facebook and tweet-tweet lah, halo! ...everytime i brought up issues like land la, water la, bridge la,,, he talk about internet, how fast he can upload video and picture of people having dinner with models la..can check people off shore account la,,, things like that..and keep repeating "if you know what i mean" ...fart,,,who cares! really pissed me off big time, but i really dont know what he meant smilies/cheesy.gif

, and i can swear by moon and the sun in the sky and not forgetting the book,,,IF my submarine can dive ah, i sure send torbedo to bomb his underneath er, play-play ah!

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written by alpha1, June 30, 2010 16:14:30

aiyo, still don't wanna give up ah? honestly, wat's your cut on the construction of the "scenic bridge"?? since you are oredi at it, pressure najis to reverse his decision on ascot as well! i'm sure your god son VT has oredi called u and whine all the way about that issue! go, pressure the shiit out of that piece of shiit. If he don't budge, pressure him out of office, just like how you did to that sleepy head!! That's your forte!! smilies/cool.gif

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written by Stupid me, June 30, 2010 16:13:32

Maybe if he is offering his head to make the bridge's foundation stronger. C>E>L>A>K>A.

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written by malaysianohope, June 30, 2010 16:01:13

Jibby should ask this mamak to put his money where his mouth is. Just allow him to use his own money to bulid the crooked bridge afterall his scumbags sons & cronies have tons of ill gotten money to spend. Just don't use the rakyat money. Period.

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written by jokersland, June 30, 2010 15:57:49

Tun, the majority are questioning why you always insist on the crooked bridge ? Is it to show to your offspring that their ancestor who stole hundreds of billion from the national coffer, was as crooked and wicked as the bridge ?

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written by singhkris, June 30, 2010 15:10:28

Tun Mamathir, I was wondering why you were still tolerating this incompetent and flip flop PM. No one can do this job better than you. Please get rid of him before he damages more of your interests.

How can you show the world your face when the contract signed by you just before retired is not honoured by your useless successors.

He has sold this country to Singapore with the agreement on the railway property.

Singapore type of education is being introduced in the Iskandar project - right here in Malaysia. That is another slap in the face of the education policy brought in by you.

The rakyat of Malaysia will support you to bring down Najib and his cronies.

Dont forget Khairy. You have to bring him down as well.

He is instrumental in your friend Vincent being denied a sports gambling licence.

He is impeding the progress of your son's political advancement.