PKR: Najib needs to come clean on sand sales to S’pore
By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan
PKR leaders have slammed a suggestion that Malaysia sells sand to Singapore if it wanted to build a third bridge linking the two countries, saying they would hold Prime Minister Najib Razak responsible if he lifted a 12-year export ban without consulting the people.
“This is a very sensitive issue especially since we lost Batu Putih (Pedra Branca) to Singapore,” said Saifuddin Nasution, PKR MP for Macahang.
“So against this sort of backdrop, we must consider the feelings of the people who attach sentimental value to their land. We do not think it is a good idea at all for Singapore to come here and attach such conditions for new investment.”
During a recent and highly publicised visit to Malaysia, Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had suggested that for further bilateral co-operation on two iconic projects being discussed, Najib must lifting the ban on sand sales to the island republic.
Said Kuan Yew: “The third bridge from Changi, it is for technical discussions. It does not make sense to us if at the same time, they punish us by making us barge sand from Vietnam.
‘It is no benefit to them, it is just to cause us extra losses. So if it is cooperation, it must be across the board and the final balance must be fair on both sides and not just in specific, selective areas.”
Najib must clarify what is the government’s stand on this
The two projects are the Iskandar Malaysia economic corridor and a third bridge link the two countries. The bridge is to connect the east coast of Singapore near Changi airport to a point east of Johor Baru, where Malaysia hopes ride on Changi’s connectivity to spur development in its own Iskandar investment corridor.
Najib, approaching his third month in office with nothing to show, had hoped to gain some political mileage from Kuan Yew’s visit.
He had also hoped the elder statesman could help to rein in the growing disgust among the Chinese Malaysians for his administration. But despite Kuan Yew clearly showing preference for his Umno-BN coalition, the move has backfired.
Not only have the non-Malays been unimpressed by the Singapore leader’s visit, the possible sale of sand has sparked nationwide indignation – including among top Umno leaders – that Najib might allow Malaysia’s ’sovereign assets’ to be depleted for the purpose of expanding Singapore’s reclaimed land.
And all this just for the sake of adding a feather to his cap and building a third link that many have already slammed as an unnecessary waste of money and economic resource.
“I urge Najib to come clean on this so that there is no dispute later on. Selling sand to Singapore was raised as a possibility by former premier Mahathir Mohamad. And now we have heard from Singapore that if we want the third bridge, we must give up our sand,” said Saifuddin.
“It now behoves Najib to state clearly what is the government’s stand on this. At no time should Singapore be allowed to dictate terms and attach sand as a condition for the bridge or other investments.”
