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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Najib's 3rd bridge not too far for his true intention


Refer to Malaysiakini A bridge too far from JB!

When Najib Razak proposed the 3rd bridge I wasn’t interested in blogging on it, for the reason I suspected (I still do) that he was trying to please everyone, mostly Dr Mahathir, his mentor/sponsor and suspected éminence grise - but in reality, without any intention to build anything ;-), a case of janji kosong.

He didn’t want to return to the issue of the ‘crooked bridge’ because that would be seen as undermining and insulting the decision of his predecessor AAB. Though Najib is in many ways a westernised and sophisticated man, he is still steeped in his adat Melayu, where he doesn’t want to be noted by the heartland as being disloyal to his retired boss.

He also doesn’t want to re-invoke the touchy subject of doing away with the Causeway, or at least the Malaysian part of it, as threatened by the Grand Old Man. Najib wants a far more friendly relationship with our rich neighbour than had previously existed, perhaps for the purpose of encouraging greater Singaporean investments so vital to boosting a now near moribund Malaysian economy.

He decided to do an Edward de Bono by proposing a 3rd bridge – a quite interesting concept for the distant future, but hardly a feasible project in the current or intermediate climate.

Really, I suspect he doesn’t give a sh*t if it takes off or not, for he has already in one fell politically ingenious de Bono-ish stroke, mollified (somewhat if not totally) Dr M, honoured the prime ministerial decision of AAB, and spared the Singaporeans the problem of an Arnheim-ish stoush.

I suspect the principal target of his appeasement has been his mentor, whom he feared could turn into a difficult Old Man of the Sea* if his (mentor's) 'big picture' policies (whatever these might have been) and desired development were ignored.

* incidentally, according to Richard Francis Burton, the noted 19th Century explorer, soldier, writer and translater, the Old Man of the Sea in the tale of Sindbad was probably from (Borneo) Malaysia wakakaka.

Even Lee Kuan Yew might have fallen for Najib’s proposed nonnever-to-be-event because the Singaporeans, being the economic animals they are, have quick as a flash aired their quid pro quo for the 3rd bridge, namely Malaysian sand, (indirectly) Malayan Railway land in Singapore (our only grip on Sing balls, and boy, what a delightful grip wakakaka), and Malaysian whatever, etc.

Najib must be laughing away as he sips his teh-o-peng with a slice of buah limau while reading the many frenzied and pontificating analyses on the non viability of his proposal. And when the Sultan saw fit to leave his constitutional perch to voice his dissatisfaction with the 3rd bridge, Najib would have gone into hysterical giggling, a state of quasi-latah wakakaka.

Mind you, I don’t support constitutional monarchy intruding outside their terms of reference, no matter how trivial the issue may be, no, not one iota.

* In this matter of recent unconstitutional intrusions, the only silver lining had been the unexpected but serendipitous selection/appointment of PAS Nizar Jamaluddin as the MB of Perak. That HRH had believed he would bear his royal claws, fangs and (in Justice NH Chan’s words) pretend-power to override an inexperienced Pakatan Rakyat by dismissing the Pakatan’s choice and appointing ‘his royal choice’ – wakakaka, history has a way of exploding in the face of those who thought they were too clever by half! Padan muka!

Talking about silver lining, here's one more, this time for Dr Mahathir. In the Malaysiakini news article, both Skudai assemblyman (DAP) Boo Cheng Hau and Pulai MCA division chief Low Teh Hian, unusually for pollies from these two party, arrived at a confluence in their conclusion on the 3rd bridge, that it would be far better to build a new bridge to replace the 86-year-old Causeway.

Mind you, they did try to distinguish their proposal from Dr M’s, by insisting it should be a straight bridge instead of a 'crooked' bridge that Dr M proposed after the Singaporeans refused to play ball.

But Dr M had of course wanted a straight bridge in the first place, with only the meandering shape thrown in to show the Singaporeans that Malaysia would have a bridge on its part of the border, regardless. In that, Dr M was also de Bono-ish wakakaka!

7 comments:

  1. Please lah, you write as though Najis Razak is some kind of high IQ super far sighted leader.

    Najis Razak is a bungling idiot who somehow made it up to PM becoz the warlords needs a new idiot in power.

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  2. So many psuedo De Bonos without an inkling as to cost, necessity or cost:benefit studies and justification.

    I mean, do we need 3 toll-paying bridge cum road links to S'pore, when the 2nd Gelang Patah:Tuas link is clearly under-utilised?

    Cut the toll charges and you will see more revenue and less crowding at the Causeway.

    I, as a rfrequent traveller to S'pore by car can tel you that most of the congestion is at the S'pore end due to stops for updating Rd Tax info, loading up on S'pore Autopass Credit and 100% security checks into S'pore. Negotiate these bottlenecks with S'pore and we'll manage well without a 3rd white elephant link!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tuanku wants his Pedra Bianca / Pulau Batu Putih back under Johore first , otherwise no talk , Singapore can go fly kite .
    That's his pledge while he's still alive .

    ReplyDelete
  4. Astute analysis - keep 'em coming, man!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maybe the Tuanku can use his brave and heroic Johore Military Force to get Pedra Branca back. The Tuanku should also consider cutting off Singapore's water supply from the Linggi dam. How can UMNO allow armed foreign guards on Malaysian soil to control thousands of acres of Tanah Melayu. What is the Linggi dam? The f'''king embassy of Singapore? The Tuanku should use his royal majesty to put a stop to this rape of Malaysian territory. Just look at how HRH the Sultan of Perak so courageously and majestically remove that Communist Nizar and his Bintang Tiga crooks. I can't wait for the Sultan of Johor to destroy that little red dot.

    Daulat Tuanku

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  6. Ktemoc,
    You sure hah?????Having KTM land is grabbing Singapore's balls.
    Perhaps, you are no lawyer. You don't know anything about sovereignty.

    Ktemoc,
    Ask yourself a simple question. KTM land is under Singapore jurisdiction or Malaysia jurisdiction?
    Do you know what's Land Acquistion Act? By the way, many foreigners own oil fields in Indonesia before Suharto........

    Ktemoc,
    Don't be a smart alec lah.....I know your agenda.....You won't go far in Malaysia. Even karpal Singh knows it

    People,
    Let looes74 (who has been staying in Singapore for nearly 20 years) tell you what Grand Old Lee wants
    Water, Water, Water! Perhaps, sand. Water sourced from other countries are high.....Sand still ok.......
    All these things, KTM land, bridge & the rest is always tied with one precious commodity.....Water......In which Mahathir spot on it. That unfortunately got to greedy & stupid......Simply don't know when to stop
    Like Ktemoc, Mahathir too egoistic....Hence, Malaysia still straddle with shits
    Would you believe me if one fine day, Singapore MPs can legislate a law that acquire KTM land at S$1? Remember Indonesia's nationalisation of oil field......Don't push too far..... You migth get nothing

    looes74

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  7. 'tight-a$$ed Sings.'?

    I wish the Malaysian government is as stingy as the Singapore government. The ringgit have been falling consistently against the Sing dollar for the past 30 years. The only reason inflation is not sky high in Malaysia is because of the petrodollars which allow the government to subsidise basic necessities and fuel. Any economist will tell you this is a great waste of a finite resource. Moreover, what's there to be 'tight-assed' about when you negotiate on behalf of your country. Any negotiator who fails to secure the best possible deal for his country would simply be a failure. If being 'tight-assed' as you put it secures the best possible deal for your country, is that wrong?

    ReplyDelete