THE CROOKED NIGHTMARE BEGINS!



I suggest Dr M to go and try out the new CIQ as a pedestrian for a week and enjoy the experience before talking too much! Check the highlighted areas in the speech. 'A few complaints'.....sigh! People complained like shit but there is nothing done at all! 'Businessmen and some political leaders' do not use the CIQ and will not comprehend the nightmare of the people using it everyday. He should not even reference the mainstream media since it does not represent the real users of the immigration everyday. I don't see anybody going around interviewing us while we wait in the long queues for 30minutes minimum everyday. They should come and interview every single one of us to get real, concrete feedbacks.

'The Star had reported recently that many businesses have been suffering since the opening of the new CIQ complex last year and they were counting on the crooked bridge project to be revived to boost business in the city.' Let me make it extremely clear. The businesses suffering in the city centre is not because of whether the bridge is crooked or straight. The businesses are suffering because the new CIQ building is located at the top of the hill, bypassing the city centre. Therefore, all the vehicular traffic do not go through the city centre anymore, except pedestrian traffic. That is the main cause and whether a new crooked bridge be built or not has no impact or relationship with businesses in the city centre. Get it?

'On the decision to open the old CIQ complex to pedestrians, Shahrir commended the Government and hoped that it would be implemented soon.' Yeah, that's what we hope for. We rather walk through the causeway than walk till death to reach the new CIQ and queue till death to get on the bus.

As I said already, I don't care whether the bridge is crooked or straight, just make the connectivity / connection better for the users. I see the leftover structures of the original crooked bridge and it is not much different in terms of width in comparison with the current one. Don't make our lives more difficult! A new bridge is to speed up connection / connectivity, not to make travel time much longer and slower! I foresee this project will create more hardship to the users....and so, let the crooked nightmare begin!

Let me break it down to simple calculations for you:
Old route: casual walk through the causeway if having bad jam = 25 minutes, using bus if no jam = 15 minutes
New route: reach inside the new CIQ building (20 minutes) + bus queue (20 minutes) + jam at the curvy route to reach old causeway (20 minutes) + old causeway (15 minutes) = 1 hour 15 minutes or 75 minutes, if bad jam, easily 2 hours.
Now, tell me, why am I not complaining?

Dr M pushes ‘the crooked bridge’

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Finally calling it “the crooked bridge”, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad questioned if Malaysia needs Singapore’s permission to build a replacement in its own territory.

The former prime minister, who had proposed the project which was cancelled by his successor, noted that more people were supporting the project now.

“Does the Government need to ask Singapore for permission to build the now desirable crooked bridge?” Dr Mahathir wrote in his www.chedet.cc weblog today.

“Is Malaysia free to do things in its own territory? Are we really independent? I wonder,” the caustic politician asked about the project which was officially called the ‘Scenic Bridge’.

He had proposed to replace the near century-old Causeway as it kept the Johor Strait waters stagnant and would also allow development of ports in the southern state.

Without referring to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by name, he pointed out no one had protested the previous prime minister’s claim that Johor people did not want “the crooked bridge or any bridge”.

“Is it because no one in Johor at that time really wanted the bridge, or is it that no one dared to differ from the open-minded and liberal ex-PM or the Press did not dare to report the real opinions of the people,” Dr Mahathir asked sarcastically.

He said there were only a few complaints about the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex due to the connecting temporary road to the Causeway which did not alleviate the city’s traffic congestion.

Malaysian mainstream media have reported over the last week that businessmen and some political leaders now support the crooked bridge to replace the Causeway, one of two road links to Singapore.

The island republic was in favour of the bridge if Malaysia committed to opening its airspace for military flights and would sell sand for the country’s expansion.

Abdullah’s decision to scrap the project and other projects pushed Dr Mahathir to oppose him and campaign for his ouster.

Abdullah retired on more than two weeks ago a year after he lead the ruling Barisan Nasional to its worst electoral outing in history.

Dr Mahathir rejoined Umno after Abdullah left and has continued to voice his opinions on Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s administration.

Deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is seen as close to Dr Mahathir, has said there are no proposals to revive the crooked bridge project.

But its learnt that some companies are preparing to restart the project if it is approved.

The Najib administration is now focusing on reviving the softening economy in the current financial storm and believes funds could be used elsewhere rather than expanding land links to Singapore.

However, government sources say it is amenable to the project if Singapore is agreeable, hence Dr Mahathir’s question about the country’s independence to decide projects in its territory.

In the last recession caused by the Asian Financial Crisis of 97/98, the Mahathir administration spent its way out by pushing mega projects such as Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, KLIA, ports and transport links.

Shahrir against crooked bridge, prefers better ties

JOHOR BARU: Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad is against the revival of the crooked bridge project and has instead proposed that both countries work together to build a straight one.

He said a straight bridge would be good for building better bilateral ties between both governments.

The Singapore Government has agreed on the development of iconic projects in Iskandar Malaysia.

“Why not build a straight bridge as one of the iconic projects?” he asked.

Shahrir added that a new straight bridge across the causeway would show renewed bond and would benefit both countries.

“It has come to my attention that many Johoreans are hopeful that our new prime minister and Cabinet will revive the crooked bridge project.

“The public must understand that bilateral ties between both countries will suffer if the project is revived,” he said, adding that the Malaysian Government should consider all implications when reviewing the project.

The Star had reported recently that many businesses have been suffering since the opening of the new CIQ complex last year and they were counting on the crooked bridge project to be revived to boost business in the city.

Shahrir was speaking to reporters at the launch of an anti-drug community service centre for residents of Taman Sri Stulang yesterday.

On the decision to open the old CIQ complex to pedestrians, Shahrir commended the Government and hoped that it would be implemented soon.