Sometimes I am just amazed by the new government and its so-called new resolve. Despite its pragmatism, the issues being considered are myopic and even stupid. I am referring to the “crooked bridge” currently being considered.
TK Chua should have added one more 'crooked' description, to wit, 'crooked thinking' by the Maddy Bodek-ites.
The government is screaming of humongous debts left by BN and the necessity of severe cutbacks including cancellation of a number of multi-billion ringgit infrastructure projects.
Yet we are now hearing of National Car No 3, man-made island in Middle Rocks and now the resurrection of the infamous Crooked Bridge.
These contradictions in terms are bewildering, annoying and bespeaks of the government's questionable governance and policies.
TK Chua, the author of letter to FMT wrote:
Singapore has so many dealings with Malaysia. I am sure the republic can be persuaded to replace the causeway with a “normal” bridge to facilitate movement of ships and boats along the Johor Strait. I am sure Singapore could benefit from it too, although the proposal comes from Malaysia.
Building the crooked bridge would just be so uncool. It would permanently epitomise the crooked relationship between Malaysia and Singapore, showing that both Malaysia and Singapore are governed by intransigent and hard-headed people out to get each other.
Obviously TK Chua might not be aware of the proposed 'crooked bridge' saga. The reason why it was designed to be crooked by Mahathir and his cohorts was because Singapore had previously NOT agreed to altering the current causeway into a bridge.
The Sings saw no benefit to the Island State and thus said 'NO'. As to be expected, the usual Mahathir angry response as then-PM was to do what he WANTS on the Malaysian side as he wished. Thus the birth of the proposed 'crooked bridge' came about.
I had to admit it's actually quite a bit of clever design for Mahathir to get his way, where Malaysia’s bridge would ‘meander’ in order to gain height because of the short span, in order to enable vessels to sail safely under. The design was so to avoid abrupt and steep climbing and descent gradient of the otherwise 'short' Malaysian bridge.
The government is screaming of humongous debts left by BN and the necessity of severe cutbacks including cancellation of a number of multi-billion ringgit infrastructure projects.
Yet we are now hearing of National Car No 3, man-made island in Middle Rocks and now the resurrection of the infamous Crooked Bridge.
These contradictions in terms are bewildering, annoying and bespeaks of the government's questionable governance and policies.
TK Chua, the author of letter to FMT wrote:
Singapore has so many dealings with Malaysia. I am sure the republic can be persuaded to replace the causeway with a “normal” bridge to facilitate movement of ships and boats along the Johor Strait. I am sure Singapore could benefit from it too, although the proposal comes from Malaysia.
Building the crooked bridge would just be so uncool. It would permanently epitomise the crooked relationship between Malaysia and Singapore, showing that both Malaysia and Singapore are governed by intransigent and hard-headed people out to get each other.
Obviously TK Chua might not be aware of the proposed 'crooked bridge' saga. The reason why it was designed to be crooked by Mahathir and his cohorts was because Singapore had previously NOT agreed to altering the current causeway into a bridge.
The Sings saw no benefit to the Island State and thus said 'NO'. As to be expected, the usual Mahathir angry response as then-PM was to do what he WANTS on the Malaysian side as he wished. Thus the birth of the proposed 'crooked bridge' came about.
I had to admit it's actually quite a bit of clever design for Mahathir to get his way, where Malaysia’s bridge would ‘meander’ in order to gain height because of the short span, in order to enable vessels to sail safely under. The design was so to avoid abrupt and steep climbing and descent gradient of the otherwise 'short' Malaysian bridge.
Thus a 'crooked bridge' could join the Singapore part of the Causeway, providing a continuous physical link (presumably inclusive of water supply) between the two nations – the Malaysian part being the 'crooked bridge' and the Singapore part being the old Causeway.
Yessir, the idea was to leave Singapore's half as the original causeway while Malaysia's half would be a bridge. International laws and legality became moot points once former PM AAB kaput-ised it.
AAB cancelled the project due to its impracticality (international laws-relationship, etc) when Singapore has refused to cooperate, whilst the cost was skyrocketing at that time.
Wakakaka, at that time Anwar Ibrahim who was still on the outer but still very keen to return to Mothership, offered his finance ministerial expertise to AAB to 'negotiate' with Singapore.
After gently chiding AAB for not doing his homework on the matter of the crooked bridge, Anwar poured on luscious honey for AAB by expressing full support for the latter’s decision to abandon the project as a commendable decision, crooning:
“It takes a lot of courage and wisdom ... after weeks of massive campaigns against Singapore ... (for Abdullah) to suddenly say that the decision (to build the bridge) was faulty and that we have to scrap the project...it’s commendable.”
Naturally Anwar blamed Mahathir (wakakaka) for sending Daim Zainudin to negotiate with former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew over the terms of the project, openly pontificated:
“I would grant the criticism of many that negotiations with Singapore are not always easy. The solution therefore is to send competent people to negotiate. If you send semi-literates to negotiate, we will lose out in the negotiations.”
Wakakaka, Anwar must then have insinuated Daim Zainuddin was a semi-literate who shouldn't be sent to negotiate with a tough intellectual like Lee Kuan Yew.
Anyway, after AAB was sabo kaukau by Mahathir until he resigned, the now-defunct The Malaysian Insider (resurrected today as The Malaysian Insight) published: Dr M wants Najib to use 'crooked bridge' as bargaining chip.
The news online reported:
Dr Mahathir said that since Singapore would only agree to a straight bridge to replace the Causeway if the ban on selling sand was lifted and that considering Johoreans were against the sale, the government’s only option was to build the crooked bridge. […]
[kaytee's speculation: I doubt Johoreans were against the sale of sand. Aren't we selling sand to India?]
Dr Mahathir cited the package of outstanding bilateral issues, including Singapore’s refusal to release CPF contributions to Malaysians, the railway land issue and the low rate in which the island republic pays for water from Malaysia.
“All these issues are in Singapore’s favour and not negotiating better terms because the Johore people refuse to sell sand is like cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face".
We all know that then-PM Najib 'acted dunno' about the bridge and went on to cooperate with Singapore on developing KTM land on the island, wakakaka. Part of the reasons for Maddy hating him.
But with Maddy as The Imperator once again, the Bodek-ites are crawling out of wood work, wakakaka.
In the face of Mahathir again insisting the 'crooked bridge' does NOT require Singapore's agreement to its construction (meaning he wants it one way or another, wakakaka), poor Liew Chin Tong who proposed a 3rd Bridge in lieu, has to now suck that up kuai-kuai. As reported by NST in its Johor DAP chief denies not being 'in line' with Dr M's crooked bridge plan):
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP Johor has denied that it was not in line with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir’s proposal to revive the so-called “crooked bridge” plan.
Its chairman, Liew Ching Tong, said any difference in opinion did not mean the state DAP was not “in line” with Dr Mahathir.
“There is no (problem). This is merely a proposal, nothing has been decided. This is also a democratic process ... we talk about every proposal and only make decisions after discussions are held,” he told reporters in the lobby of Parliament.
On Wednesday, Liew had said the crooked bridge, which was proposed years ago to replace the current Causeway, should not be a priority.
He had said a more appropriate suggestion would be the construction of a third bridge linking Johor and Singapore so that traffic congestion can be eased.
Another priority, he had said, was to build the rapid transit system (RTS) linking Malaysia and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, when approached, said he did not know about any proposal to revive the crooked bridge plan.
He said the best person to ask about any such plan was Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian.
What Maddy wants, Maddy gets, and even a straight man like Liew has to kuai-kuai step aside, when he sees the usually vociferous Lim Kit Siang 'acting dunno' and quiet as a mouse, whilst his 'financially-brilliant' son, wakakaka, Guan Eng sneakily deflected the ball to Johor MB Osman Sapian, wakakaka again.
No backbone lah.
Yessir, the idea was to leave Singapore's half as the original causeway while Malaysia's half would be a bridge. International laws and legality became moot points once former PM AAB kaput-ised it.
AAB cancelled the project due to its impracticality (international laws-relationship, etc) when Singapore has refused to cooperate, whilst the cost was skyrocketing at that time.
Wakakaka, at that time Anwar Ibrahim who was still on the outer but still very keen to return to Mothership, offered his finance ministerial expertise to AAB to 'negotiate' with Singapore.
After gently chiding AAB for not doing his homework on the matter of the crooked bridge, Anwar poured on luscious honey for AAB by expressing full support for the latter’s decision to abandon the project as a commendable decision, crooning:
“It takes a lot of courage and wisdom ... after weeks of massive campaigns against Singapore ... (for Abdullah) to suddenly say that the decision (to build the bridge) was faulty and that we have to scrap the project...it’s commendable.”
Naturally Anwar blamed Mahathir (wakakaka) for sending Daim Zainudin to negotiate with former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew over the terms of the project, openly pontificated:
“I would grant the criticism of many that negotiations with Singapore are not always easy. The solution therefore is to send competent people to negotiate. If you send semi-literates to negotiate, we will lose out in the negotiations.”
Wakakaka, Anwar must then have insinuated Daim Zainuddin was a semi-literate who shouldn't be sent to negotiate with a tough intellectual like Lee Kuan Yew.
Anyway, after AAB was sabo kaukau by Mahathir until he resigned, the now-defunct The Malaysian Insider (resurrected today as The Malaysian Insight) published: Dr M wants Najib to use 'crooked bridge' as bargaining chip.
The news online reported:
Dr Mahathir said that since Singapore would only agree to a straight bridge to replace the Causeway if the ban on selling sand was lifted and that considering Johoreans were against the sale, the government’s only option was to build the crooked bridge. […]
[kaytee's speculation: I doubt Johoreans were against the sale of sand. Aren't we selling sand to India?]
Dr Mahathir cited the package of outstanding bilateral issues, including Singapore’s refusal to release CPF contributions to Malaysians, the railway land issue and the low rate in which the island republic pays for water from Malaysia.
“All these issues are in Singapore’s favour and not negotiating better terms because the Johore people refuse to sell sand is like cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face".
We all know that then-PM Najib 'acted dunno' about the bridge and went on to cooperate with Singapore on developing KTM land on the island, wakakaka. Part of the reasons for Maddy hating him.
But with Maddy as The Imperator once again, the Bodek-ites are crawling out of wood work, wakakaka.
In the face of Mahathir again insisting the 'crooked bridge' does NOT require Singapore's agreement to its construction (meaning he wants it one way or another, wakakaka), poor Liew Chin Tong who proposed a 3rd Bridge in lieu, has to now suck that up kuai-kuai. As reported by NST in its Johor DAP chief denies not being 'in line' with Dr M's crooked bridge plan):
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP Johor has denied that it was not in line with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir’s proposal to revive the so-called “crooked bridge” plan.
Its chairman, Liew Ching Tong, said any difference in opinion did not mean the state DAP was not “in line” with Dr Mahathir.
“There is no (problem). This is merely a proposal, nothing has been decided. This is also a democratic process ... we talk about every proposal and only make decisions after discussions are held,” he told reporters in the lobby of Parliament.
On Wednesday, Liew had said the crooked bridge, which was proposed years ago to replace the current Causeway, should not be a priority.
He had said a more appropriate suggestion would be the construction of a third bridge linking Johor and Singapore so that traffic congestion can be eased.
Another priority, he had said, was to build the rapid transit system (RTS) linking Malaysia and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, when approached, said he did not know about any proposal to revive the crooked bridge plan.
He said the best person to ask about any such plan was Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian.
What Maddy wants, Maddy gets, and even a straight man like Liew has to kuai-kuai step aside, when he sees the usually vociferous Lim Kit Siang 'acting dunno' and quiet as a mouse, whilst his 'financially-brilliant' son, wakakaka, Guan Eng sneakily deflected the ball to Johor MB Osman Sapian, wakakaka again.
No backbone lah.
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saya olang tua, 'dah lupa liao lah |
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keep playing your Sudoku and don't answer any reporter's question on the 'crooked bridge' wakakaka |
There is no money for any bridge, straight or crooked.
ReplyDeleteThe crooked bridge proposal was the result of angry exasperation with the Sing attitude.
I'm also very unhappy at the way Sing refuses to countenance any upgrade to the current Causeway link.
Very short sighted of Sing Government to see it as no benefit to them.
HSR - of course they want it, big benefit by relieving Changi Airport capacity, and Malaysia anyway shoulders 85% of the cost.
My experience with negotiating with Sings is many of them arrogantly look down on Malaysians.
I dislike Pakatan especially christian-led DAP and LGE. Any irritation to DAP master Singapore is most welcome. The 94% asked for it. They voted DAP. So bear the consequences of crashing China and Singapore ties under Mahathir.
ReplyDeleteIt's all a political game by the maestro politician called TDM.
ReplyDeleteSomething is fishy about all these 3rd Crooked Bridge ideas. Let's postulate on this idea and why it suddenly becomes a heated topic just after DSAI is now in Parliament as MP and PM 8 in waiting.
1. TDM knows the crooked bridge will cause Singaporeans to fear their container shipping and shipyard business will be crippled if large containerised ships can sail thru the Johore Straits. All Malaysian ports like Port Klang, Tg Pelepas and shipyards like Pasir Gudang will benefit greatly when Singaporean ports and shipyards are bypassed. Only ships like Very Large Crude/Gas carrier vessels might not be able to use the Johor Straits.
2. A land bridge instead of a hanging bridge to Johor is critical to Singapore's security if ever war breaks out between Malaysia and Singapore since Singaporean ground troops and tanks will need a land bridge to cross over quickly to secure a foothold in Johor besides protecting the dams and their water supplies.
3. Why did TDM says the renewal of this crooked bridge idea started from the ground ie The Bersatu Johor MB and not he himself? Is it to avoid Singapore misreading the whole issue and maybe irrationally start a pre emptive war or escalation of words which may lead to straining of ties which may lead to something else which Malaysia can ill afford at present?
TDM being a maestro politician by bringing up this crooked bridge issue is actually looking a bit like trying to consolidate Bersatu's power in PH by making himself look indispensable as Ceasar to PH coalition parties and projecting himself as more relevant compared to DSAI in the areas of protecting National interests and security.
TDM has an unfinished political agenda and he needs time to complete it. TDM needs to keep DSAI incheck and TDM knew he still has not the safe numbers in Parliament yet in case DSAI wants to be Brutus overnight.
What is TDM unfinished agenda in Malaysian politics?
Let's not get waylaid by nice sweet political statements coming from the likes of DSAI, Johor MB, TMJ, Liew Chin Tong and other PH MPs and leaders.
Malaysian politics is always full of intrigue, un sangka rable possibilities, dynastic theories, dendam kesumat, feudalistic intentions, royalties interventions etc etc.
Malaysians all seems to be conditioned and indoctrinated to too much stories of the Malaccan Sultanate and stories of Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Tun Perak etc and replaying it all the time easily forgetting we were once ruled by Hindu Kingdoms and Pirates.
Weren't the red indians, mongols, vikings, etc.. savage barbarians? BTW please pray tell how many hundred thousands convicts were shipped to Australia huh? Macam bagus konon.
ReplyDeleteAny crooked bridge across an already narrow Johor Straits will render the remaining half (on the Johor side) too narrow and dangerous to navigate, especially for larger vessels. The narrow bridge will have to be “one-way” at a time to shipping traffic and maritimer’s nightmare, especially dangerous since it will be in densely populated downtown Johor Bahru and ships will have to sail close to the Johor side.
ReplyDeleteAs I said before, if built, this crooked bridge will be a Monument of Shame to both countries, and replace the Twin Towers and Marina Bay Sands as our tourist attractions, put on postcards and countless selfies.
additionally we can also erect a giant statue of Maddy at the JB end, wakakaka
DeleteSoi Lek: ‘When Dad gives you money, do you ask if he stole it?’
ReplyDeleteCSL uses this unconvincing argument in MCA’s defence for accepting money from Najib.
If authorities from all over the world like Switzerland, Singapore, US DoJ were investigating money transactions implicating my dad, accusing him of all sorts of things, bankers in Singapore arrrested, charged and jailed over money transactions linked to my dad, billions of dollars of assets seized by DoJ and blogs, books and countless newspaper reports all accusing my father of being a kleptocrat, Leonardo di Caprio and Miranda Kerr having to return artwork and jewellery purchased using money purportedly linked to my dad, my mother having huge amount of unexplained jewellery and Birkin handbags then what stupid son will not ask that question :
Dad, are you a Thief?
Be that as it may let us assume this son really is STUPID, but now that his father has been arrested and charged will the son declare how much money his dad gave him and will the son return the money?
Soi Lek is not STUPID. His father was a good man who had a sundry shop business.
Delete1. Only small ships can pass through Strait of Johor because it is 12 meters deep. This rubbish about threat to Singapore port is nonsense. The ECRL is a major threat to Singapore. ECRL would benefit Malaysia by diverting 53 million tons of cargo away from Singapore ports...Their DAP treasonous puppies have savaged the ECRL project so no more threat to Singapore port business!! Many DAP politicians probably have huge bank accounts in Singapore...but average Malaysians can suffer.
ReplyDelete2. The SG govt was interested in HSR ONLY BECAUSE MALAYSIA WAS BUILDING ECRL. But once ECRL cancelled no more benefits for HSR to SG. Not the excess capacity at Changi. That is nonsense. Only Malaysian fools would fly from Changi when KLIA1 is number 12 on list of most connected airports, even though SG is number 1 in ASIA.(that is not including KLIA2). Malaysians can always connect planes at Middle East (to Africa), Amsterdam (South America) or Bangkok (to Central Asia) or HK/Incheon (USA/Canada)cheaply.
3. After May 9 election that saw pro-american DAP/PKR in power the Americans HAVE SUSPENDED THE DOJ CASE AGAINST JHO LOW!!! Case now in cold storage, DOJ not pursuing it anymore hahaha. Speaks volumes about motive of DOJ/CIA agenda....
4. Singapore HAS NEVER CHARGED JHO LOW OR EVEN NAJIB despite making accusations against all the brokers and so-called JHO LOW's minions. The Attorney General of Singapore loudly proclaimed before GE15 May 9 that MONEY IN THOSE ACCOUNTS WERE STOLEN FROM 1mdb!!! yet no charges were ever filed against JHO LOW or NAJIB in Singapore. Speaks volumes about Singapore/CIA motives in overthrowing Najib using Jho Low as bait. So who is Jho LOw? Is he so-called Najib/Rosmah friend or IS HE A CIA ASSET TASKED WITH CREATING ELECTRONIC TRAILS OF 'MONEY LAUNDERING RECORDS ' SO CHARGES AGAINST NAJIB CAN BE LEVELLED......>>>???
SWITZERLAND INVESTIGATING 6 PEOPLE, NAJIB NOT AMONG THEM
ReplyDeleteSwiss authorities have coordinated action with Singapore counterparts and closed down two banks - BSI and Falcon - and are now investigating six people for possible criminal indictment, said Lauber.
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is not one of them, he said. Neither is businessman Jho Low, who is wanted by both Malaysian and Singapore authorities as a key figure in the 1MDB probe.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/1mdb-swiss-attorney-general-lauber-probe-10519782
SO SWISS SAYS NAJIB AND JHO LOW NOT BEING INVESTIGATED. SO WHAT IS THIS LIE ABOUT NAJIB STEALING 1MDB MONEY? AND EQUANIMITY?