THE CROOKED BRIDGE SAGA CONTINUES

Well, how is the causeway lately?
It seems like the indications from the media is there is no hurry to revive the crooked bridge. However, I have seen some things lately which may seem otherwise:
1. There seems to be some construction at the side of the current super curvy route from the Malaysian immigration building to the causeway. Yes, it seems like some work is done to widen the two lanes road. I may be wrong but it looks like it to me.
2. I see many construction vehicles near the half done bridge of Dr. Mahathir lately. Anybody who passes through and sees them there will speculate that there is some work related to the continuation of the half done bridge.
3. The work of knocking down the old immigration complex is in progress. So far, they have knocked down 1/3 buildings and in the process of knocking the 2/3 of them. They can't just knock everything down at once since we are still passing through the old immigration complex to enter the causeway. The three buildings were used to host human traffic via buses, to host vans and red channel (declare of goods) and green channel (nothing to declare). The one left is the green channel building which we are using currently.

How is the traffic condition lately?
Since the swine flu or the H1N1 flu outbreak, traffic has been extremely minimal in the causeway. I don't know whether you can say it is caused by the flu or whether the economy has really gone so very bad. Nowadays, I can go through the causeway in 5 minutes. No long human queues, no long vehicle queues, smooth rides all the way to the Singapore immigration. Where are all the humans and vehicles?

What about the H1N1 outbreak screening?
Singapore already have the equipments all ready and in place when WHO raised it to Level 5. Screening started screening full time I believe since WHO raised the level of influenza pandemic alert to phase 5. Although there was a slight jam on the first two days, but the implementation was fully smooth after that. Malaysia only started screening when the first case appeared in Kuala Lumpur, which was just last weekend.

How is the condition of the Johor Bahru CIQ building?
Still the same, facilities broken down everywhere. Some automatic passport clearance counters can be left broken down for days without repair and just recently two escalators broke down at the same time, forcing people to use the stairs or the lifts. I know one escalator had been left broken down for many days without repair. They have started to allow two operators to start simple grocery business beside the bus platforms. It has been rather quiet lately in terms of human traffic. I don't know whether it is the H1N1 flu or whether it is the economy.

Read more:
Bridge project no rush

As well as this:
No rush into decision to replace Causeway

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — His rise to Prime Minister coincided with the revival of talk about the Causeway being replaced, leading to much speculation in the media.

But Datuk Seri Najib Razak was cautious when discussing the subject during an interview with The Straits Times, acknowledging that it came with much historical baggage.

While he felt that the Causeway should be improved to facilitate the movement of people between Singapore and Malaysia, what replaces it needs fuller study.

“Logic says that progress means change, progress means development, progress means more comfort and better communication and transport for the peoples of Malaysia and Singapore,” he said.

“So if you translate that, it means that the Causeway should be replaced, then so be it, but we should not be hasty about it. Let's look at all angles, to see whether both countries are comfortable with the project.”

Building a bridge to replace the Causeway has been a thorny issue in bilateral relations. It was an initiative of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who repeatedly raised the issue in the last few years of his term.

When Singapore wanted to discuss the bridge as part of a package of bilateral trade-offs, he insisted that Malaysia could build an elevated bridge to replace Malaysia's half of the Causeway — an S-shaped half-bridge widely dubbed the “crooked bridge”. The plan was eventually scrapped by Dr Mahathir's successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006, but there have been calls for it to be revived since Najib — who is seen as a protege of Dr Mahathir — assumed premiership.

Johor business leaders in particular have been clamouring for it, claiming that a new bridge would resuscitate flagging businesses in the area.

When asked about the prospects of building the bridge — crooked or otherwise — Najib said his administration would not be rushed into a decision.

“We take it in our stride. I've just been in office for 1½ months. It's something that we need to look into, because there are some issues that were tied to the bridge before,” he said.

“Reopening the whole thing: I wouldn't want to proceed until there's a real, positive finality to the whole project. If I start reviving the bridge project, I want to see successful conclusion. I don't want it to be a repeat of what happened.

“So let's get a study of all aspects of the project, and there's no timeframe of course. It's not something that will happen immediately. But we'll take it in our stride.” — The Straits Times

THE CROOKED BRIDGE SAGA CONTINUES

Today, I saw some people interviewing the bus officers at work at the normal queues in the CIQ. They could be from the press or could be some officials from the government. Whoever they are, the interviewing is worthless if not to the users like me. Therefore, I am not surprised with all the results shown in the news which contradicts what the general public really thinks.

I read about this article by an almost 20 years user of the causeway:
The Crooked Bridge Return With Cronies

What is said might be true. Everyone in Johor Bahru knows Danga Bay has a cruise ship and many other luxury boats parking at its bay. There has been a lot of saying that they plan to have a cruise tour through the crooked bridge when the plan was first mentioned years back. I also like how the person said the crooked bridge is built to create more problems so more projects can be generated later.

a) Rebuilding of the Railway Lane. The idea is to have a Swing Railway Bridge.

b) The 3 giant water pipelines to Singapore need to be relocated.

c) May be, later they will create another excuse that the sea level along the Malaysia- Singapore Border is shallow so the ship couldn’t pass through. So they need to deepen the sea for the distance of >< 50 km from West to East.

Read the following two more articles related to the crooked bridge. I will have my comments in red wherever I need to say something. All I have to say is show me the research and report on how the crooked bridge can help ease traffic jam. Please don't give your comments by putting in the words: might, may, could, can, will and would. These are no guarantees, these are just words without any strong points to convince me.

The other excuses of enhancing the Iskandar Development Region, as a landmark to attract tourism, improve business in the city centre and meeting the aspiration of the people in Johor Bahru are stupid, lame and pathetic!

Stop pushing for the crooked bridge — Koon Yew Yin

APRIL 21 — Ever since Tun Dr. Mahathir rejoined Umno, he has been interfering in the new government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Once again in the media and now, in his own blog site, he is pushing hard for building the crooked bridge. This time though, Mahathir is playing his last trump card by appealing to our Malaysian sense of patriotism and nationalism and by trying to whip up anti-Singaporean sentiments.

This is clear from his first sentence on the subject as well as his last sentence as found in his blog posting on April 20 on "The Crooked Bridge".

His first sentence notes that “The Star reported that Chinese businessmen in Johor Baru want the Crooked Bridge to be built" and his last sentence asks: "Does the Government need to ask Singapore for permission to build the now desirable crooked bridge? Is Malaysia free to do things in its own territory? Are we really independent? I wonder.”

The public should note that the latest Mahathir blast on the bridge contains no clear or strong justification for building the crooked bridge – no economic reason, no technical reason and most important of all, no balanced analysis of the pros and cons of building the bridge.

The blog note may in fact be construed as just a naked appeal to primordial sentiment. Hopefully, the new PM will not allow himself to be bullied by Mahathir but will instead stand his ground on this issue.

However, should the pressure from the Mahathir camp continue to grow and become difficult to ignore, one way of defusing it is to have full public disclosure of the crooked bridge project, its history, the major and minor players who have been involved in it, the findings of various feasibility studies dealing with it, various cost-benefit scenarios and not least of all, the financial ramifications of the project, including the payment of more than RM100 million to the contractor for the decision to stop the proposal – a payment made despite the fact that the contractor did not do any physical construction work on site.

Let the public be provided with all the facts of the project (much of which has not been available because of the Official Secrets Act) and let the public (especially competent professionals) help in the decision after a full and fair appraisal. If the crooked bridge is to be built, it must only be done because it is doable and in the best interests of the country and not just because the former Prime Minister wants it.

As an old engineer, let me touch on some of the insurmountable difficulties involved in building the bridge that should be part of the appraisal process when considering the crooked bridge construction.

1. One of the objectives for breaking up the existing causeway is to allow ships to bypass Singapore port which will automatically affect Singapore’s economy. That is why Singapore is not giving us the permission to break their portion of the causeway. As a result, Dr. Mahathir’s lobbyists have proposed building the crooked bridge.

2. The bridge must be high enough to allow ships to go under the bridge. For such a short span, the gradient will be too steep for any train to climb. Moreover, trains cannot negotiate sharp bends.

3. I remember reading that this matter was discussed in the Singapore Parliament. It was pointed out that if Malaysia did not maintain the railway for longer than 6 months, Singapore could claim the right of all the railway land in Singapore territory.

4. I also remember that when we tried to stop Singapore’s reclamation work, the matter was referred to the international court for the sea. The court decided that both countries have to agree for any development project within a certain distance from the boundary. I doubt if we can break up half of the existing causeway on our side without Singapore’s agreement.

As a final point, it is clear that in view of the global recession’s serious impact on the Malaysian economy, the Government must be more careful in spending the hard earned money of our Malaysian tax payers.

This is not the time to pour money into resurrected white elephant or ego-building projects. All major projects need to be implemented only after careful and rigorous cost-benefit evaluation studies that should be open to public scrutiny.

The practice of awarding large contracts without open competitive tenders such as was done in the case of the initial contract for the crooked bridge must not be continued.

If an open and competitive tender system is the norm in the country’s procurement, I am sure that Mahathir’s cronies will stop pestering to build the crooked bridge because they may not secure the contract if they have to compete with other contractors.

* Koon Yew Yin is a reader of The Malaysian Insider

Dr M: Scenic bridge will enhance Iskandar project
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Written by Chan Kok Leong, THE EDGE

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad strongly believes that completing the scenic bridge will only enhance the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) project. (The jam will be guaranteed to stop once the crooked bridge is built? Show me some convincing research.)

The elder statesman said that the bridge will improve traffic flow between Singapore and Malaysia and hence benefit IDR.

When asked if cutbacks in other areas were necessary to finish the bridge, Mahathir said: "No, we don’t need to cut back on anything.

"If you build the bridge, the Iskandar project will take off. If you don’t the traffic jams will persist. (The problem is the very right cornering of the 2 lanes. The crooked bridge is of the same width. Can you convince me traffic jam will disappear? If there are at least 4 lanes one way to connect directly to the causeway, I will probably be convinced.)

"The bridge was designed to overcome traffic jams. Now, the traffic jams are getting worse and the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bukit Chagar cannot be utilised properly," said the 83-year-old statesman. (Show me data and information how it can overcome traffic jams. By the look at the half finished bridge, it is not any different than the current one.)

The scenic bridge project was the brainchild of Mahathir before he left office in 2003.

However, the project also known as "crooked bridge" encountered issues in his predecessor’s time.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, citing the reason that Singapore had not agreed with the project, jettisoned the idea midway after it had began, incurring the wrath of Mahathir.

An unnamed source told the Singapore Straits Times on Tuesday that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had told Johor Umno at a closed-door meeting that any review of the scrapped plan would be decided only after discussions with Singapore.

Besides improving bilateral traffic, Mahathir had also wanted to boost local ports by allowing ships to pass under the bridge instead of being forced to re-route around Singapore.

The bridge would have to be curved in shape to allow for the road to gain the necessary height in such a short distance.

Earlier, Mahathir gave the opening speech at the MSC Malaysia Leadership Talk Series 2009 at a hotel in Cyberjaya and then conducted a question-and-answer session with the invited guests.

In his speech, Mahathir urged the country to take stock of its attributes and make use of them in this time of crisis.

He suggested to the guests who were mainly from the information technology sector that two areas which could be developed is the field of animation and robotics.

The pioneer of Malaysia’s multimedia super corridor also urged IT companies to focus on quality and step up their research efforts.

Malaysia’s Crooked Bridge rears its ugly head once more
Thursday, 23 April 2009

Mahathir's return to the political fold has a number of implications, including the very real possibility that some of the cash from Malaysia's massive fiscal stimulus plan (9pc of GDP) is channeled into the sort of grandiose projects that he champions.

by Ben Bland, Telegraph.co.uk

Of all the harebrained schemes that have ever been dreamt up by egotistical political leaders, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's plan for a "crooked bridge" linking peninsula Malaysia with Singapore surely ranks among the most bizarre (see artist's impression).

And, as the 83- year-old Mahathir has drifted back onto the political scene after his ally Najib Razak took the reins of power last month, so the vexed issue of the crooked bridge has reared up once more.

The existing main causeway linking northern Singapore with the city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia is far too narrow and is plagued by traffic jams and long delays, particularly at the weekend and on public holidays.

Mahathir, who showed a persistent fondness for massive infrastructure projects during his 22 years in office, wanted to build a much wider bridge over the straits of Johor but could not convince a Singaporean government that he had often purposefully antagonised to reach agreement with him.

His proposed solution was to unilaterally build a new bridge over the Malaysian half of the straits, which would connect to the old Singaporean causeway at the halfway point.

Because Mahathir also wanted to boost Malaysia's burgeoning ports by allowing ships to pass under the bridge instead of being forced to re-route all the way round Singapore, the bridge would have to be curved in shape to allow for the road to gain the necessary height in such a short distance.

About a week ago, reports started surfacing in the Malaysian newspapers, which are almost all controlled by members of the ruling coalition and their allies, of calls for the crooked bridge plan, which was jettisoned by Mahathir 's successor Abdullah Badawi, to be resurrected.

That got people talking and now Mahathir has fanned the flames himself in a rather cryptic post on his blog entitled "The Crooked Bridge", which is a response to the calls for the project to be revisited.

"Does the Government need to ask Singapore for permission to build the now desirable crooked bridge?" he writes. "Is Malaysia free to do things in its own territory? Are we really independent? I wonder."

As this article on Asia Sentinel (which I also write for) explains, Mahathir's return to the political fold has a number of implications, including the very real possibility that some of the cash from Malaysia's massive fiscal stimulus plan (9pc of GDP) is channeled into the sort of grandiose projects that he champions.

The major concern about such "visionary" plans in Malaysia has always been that the juicy government contracts that are generated end up in the hands of those closest to the politicians in power rather than those best placed to complete the project on time and on budget.

Hence, the old joke about the crooked bridge being designed to represent the true nature of Malaysia-Singapore relations: Singapore is straight and Malaysia is crooked.

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.

THE CROOKED BRIDGE CHRONICLES


CIQ = Customs, Immigration & Quarantine

How do you measure progress? If Point A (old Malaysian CIQ) and Point B (Singapore CIQ) takes approximately 25minutes (distance of around 1km) to walk, you don't build something even further away and non-pedestrian friendly. The new Malaysian CIQ adds at least 1.2km more than the current distance in plan. In reality, it is more since the added distance is going uphill to the top of Bukit Chagar, where the new Malaysian CIQ building is situated.

How do you improve if the new building is creating more problems to the users? Let's not even talk about the crooked bridge yet since it does not make any improvements but creating more problems. For the sake of having water to go through both sides of the causeway and perhaps very small ships or boats or sails to go through, the sacrifices needed is extremely heavy. For the kind of money spent to build the crooked bridge for the sake of water connectivity between the current causeway as well as getting tiny recreational sea vehicle to go through, does it really make sense?

What is wrong with the current new Malaysian CIQ building?

1. Messy vehicle link - the link to enter the CIQ building is so messed up and complicated because the traffic planning is very badly done. Many vehicles went the wrong way because of the confusing network of traffic junctions. This mess is further complicated with traffic policemen blocking the messy junction to catch vehicles, either to check the IC/ID or just to catch those who unfortunately got confused by the messy traffic junction. Some of the roads are closed, making it very confusing for drivers. As a result of this chaotic design, they need to have people full time standing at the entrance to guide traffic. It has been so from December 15th 2008 till now. You also see many policemen hanging around in the building. I don't know what they are doing in there chatting with each other when crime rate is sky high in Johor Bahru.

2. Miserable pedestrian link - the building is the nightmare for all pedestrians. Old folks, disabled people and pregnant ladies can anticipate a hell of a time to enter this building. You plan to bring heavy luggage? Good luck to you! The only legitimate entrance to this building is through other buildings. Yes, there is no official entrance for pedestrians for this building. Hence, you find yourself going through the new railway station opposite City Square or another building linked to the new CIQ. This means before you even enter this building, you need to walk 15minutes-20 minutes (casual speed) to reach this building. When you finally enter the building, you need to go around in one loop from the side. Yes, they force you to walk double the building's length by going in from the sides and making a U turn to enter the main passport and Customs clearance area. That loop will at least take you another 15 minutes, not taking into account the passport queue. The path is not straight, you need to go through many rounds of escalators / stairs (if escalators broke down), therefore it is almost impossible for the disabled to enter. The old folks and the pregnant ladies will suffer. By the way, when it rains, it is as good as you will be fully wet since there is no pedestrian shelter whatsoever outside any of the buildings connecting to the new CIQ building.

3. Miserable building materials - the building was in full operational since mid December 2008. We have escalators breaking down for months and still under repair. You have broken glass panels, you have leaking airconditioning making the floor below wet, you have the main entrance green ground plaster coming off here and there, you have information kiosk under repair for months, you have lifts and escalators being closed from use, you have broken lights. As for the information kiosk, who in the world will stop inside to use it? I saw one of these kiosks tucked at the corner of the building where nobody will be there. I wonder...



It is very common to see this in the building, be it on the lift, leaking airconditioning, broken glass panel left there for weeks, escalators and lightings. Therefore, those with luggages and having difficulty walking are the people to suffer the most.



4. Freeflow airconditioning - Well, the high ceiling, huge building is like the Sepang International Airport where the amount of humans you have with the ratio of floor space is too far apart. You have huge space to be airconditioned while there are no doors or walls to shield the interiors. This means you have airconditioning free flow pumping down the staircases / escalators where people go to take buses and vans in the open air. We can waste energy like nobody's business.


The photo shows three things. The extreme left is the double line queue which is having about 100 people each easily. The length can double easily. This photo was taken when I queued up to this point because I wanted to show how there is no barrier for the airconditioning to go down directly through the staircase and escalator for free to the outdoors. You can also see the escalator is not functioning. Good luck to the disabled, old folks, pregnant ladies and people with heavy luggage. You can see also the kind of huge space indoors with high volume space to burn energy. Free flow airconditioning and lighting.

5. Slippery tiles - Yes, as I mentioned earlier above, there is no shelter for pedestrians when it rains. You better have umbrella ready or be ready to be soaked wet. In addition, the construction is super flat so when it rains, you have water contained here and there. The tiles used outdoors are slippery types which you can really fall down when it is wet. You see workers mopping floors everytime it rains. If you look at the Singapore CIQ, there is no such problem. They have logic and use rough tiles. It will not easily crack with the luggages going around.

6. Tight curvy spaces - This is for cars entrance and exit. If you drive in or out of the new CIQ building to get passport clearance, the different kiosks handling different lanes are positioned in such a way that you can't even see whether there are any vehicles in other lanes. This means you could drive down to the last few lanes and only to find out that they are all full. The very tight corners have caused every single counter to have cut / knock marks by vehicles on it. Sometimes these lines can be as long as 2 metres. The bump used is extremely high which caused the vehicles to unnecessarily stop to go through slowly.

7. No pedestrian pathway - Yes, this is the worst thing about this CIQ building. There is no pedestrian pathway to link to the Singapore side. This means you are forced to take transport, especially buses. Well, you will see super long queues as long as 2km in the CIQ building all the time during peak hours. People line up from the bus platform all the way till they reach the passport gate, which is about 2km away!

8. Two lanes link - No matter how big the CIQ building is, there is only two lanes link to enter and exit Singapore. Since these lanes are not straight, this means you literally only have 1.5 or 1 lane to enter or exit Singapore. This is because huge vehicles like buses will eat up almost 1.5 lanes during corner turns. This curvy link is always holding up traffic jam. Imagine cars, motorcycles, vans and buses all share two lanes. We are talking about thousands of these vehicles. Since the road is going uphill, it is consuming a lot of petrol to all the vehicles. Just imagine yourself caught in the jam from the foot of the hill till the top of it. Just imagine the buses loaded with passengers trying to go uphill.

9. Miserable interiors - They built a huge gigantic space in front of the passport clearance area when the crowd amount will never ever going to fill it up fully. At best, I would say they will mostly filled up 10% of the huge space. However, the space provided for bus waiting and queues are so tight that people literally need to squeeze through the space. That's how great the design is.

10. Ugly sight - The columns left for the intended crooked bridge with steel bars all over it left to rot is an ugly sight indeed. The unfinished bridge is also left halfway there to welcome tourists into Johor Bahru. They also left the old immigration building to rot there without clearing it off. The decayed, dirty place is really an eye sore and dangerous for the traffic to go through it.

The Most Happiest People On Earth
There are only two types of people who are happiest with the new Malaysian CIQ. The bus companies since nobody can walk anymore and are forced to take their ever crowded buses with queues as long as 2km. The other one is the owner of the Shell petrol station at the exit of the Malaysian CIQ. They are basically striking lottery with good feng shui of money pouring in non-stop compared to the past.

What Is The Point of the Crooked Bridge?
1. If you want the water on both sides of the causeway to connect, drill underground tunnels. Can't that solve the stagnant water?
2. How do you get your train to go through?
3. How do you get the water pipes to go through?
4. You want big ships to go through but is the straits deep enough?
5. Can they even go through under the Second Link?
6. What is the point of adding more buses when the problem to the connectivity is the amount of lanes between the Malaysia CIQ and Singapore CIQ? The two lanes are the bottleneck!
7. How can the crooked bridge improve business and Johor's economy as mentioned in the newspaper article below?
8. Are you sure the Johor Bahru people support it so wholeheartedly like what is reported below? All I know is every user including me is cursing everyday when we enter that CIQ building. As reported in the news, Johor UMNO Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad said all the people of Johor, regardless of religious belief and race, wanted the government to review the decision made in 2006 to cancel the construction of the crooked bridge. All the people of Johor, regardless of religious belieft and race......right.
9. Why do you disallow people from walking to the other side? Do you think we enjoy walking further distance? If not for the terrible tight connectivity, everyone will prefer using vehicles.
10. I heard a giant ship carrying containers has a height of at least 50 metres from the sea water level. That is around 14 storeys high. What is the type of ship the bridge intend to let through?
11. How will the crooked bridge be a landmark to attract more tourists?
Sometimes I really don't understand what is reported in the local news. No logic.

What is a bridge? Why do we build a bridge?
A BRIDGE IS USED AS A SHORTCUT TO CONNECT TWO SEPARATE LOCATIONS SEPARATED BY WATER BODY. THE KEY POINT IS A SHORTCUT, NOT TO MAKE IT A LONGER DISTANCE!

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No decision yet on crooked bridge, says Muhyiddin
SINGAPORE, April 17 — The government has not made any decision whether to resume the construction of the crooked bridge over the Straits of Johor, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

After delivering the closing keynote address at the Second Asean and Asia Forum here today, Muhyiddin was asked about the growing calls, especially from Johor’s political and business community, for the government to review its 2006 decision to cancel the crooked bridge project.

The say the construction of the RM600 million crooked bridge to replace the Johor Causeway which was built in 1924, could spur economic growth and provide various economic opportunities to the local population.(COULD, HOW? HOW IS HAVING A CROOKED BRIDGE PROVIDE MORE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME!)

The forum titled “Risks and Opportunities” was organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA).

Asked on his priority since taking over as deputy prime minister, Muhyiddin said the most important thing on his mind was managing the economy and steering it out of recession.

He said the nation’s economic well-being needed to be managed hands-on, especially with the RM60 billion economic stimulus package as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently.

The Umno deputy president said the government’s priority in ensuring Malaysia’s well-being went beyond politics and the impending Penanti state seat by-election.

“Yes, we (the new administration) are looking beyond politics,” said Muhyiddin.

On Umno’s efforts to regain the confidence of the Malays and Malaysian public, he said the new party administration was working hard towards this end.

“We are working very hard on the party’s transformation, but with the new administration in place, there will be changes which can have a positive impact.”

Muhyiddin said Umno and Barisan Nasional needed at least two years to work at winning back the confidence and trust of the Malaysian voters.

He left for Kuala Lumpur after attending the forum. – Bernama

Singapore-JB bus links to double
SINGAPORE, April 16 — The number of bus services linking Singapore and Johor Baru is being doubled from eight to 16.

This is to cater to the expected demand from people heading to the Iskandar region in Johor.

Iskandar is a development corridor in the southern part of the state, about three times the size of Singapore.

The two countries agreed on the move to “enhance transport links” after the fourth meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee earlier this month.

No deadline has been set for the move yet.

Operators of these cross-border services said it was a good move to have more services and expressed interest in applying to run them.

The services that now ply routes between Singapore and Johor Baru are run by local companies SBS Transit, SMRT and Singapore-Johore Express Bus Service, as well as Malaysian company Handal Indah.

There is no limit to the number of trips that they can make per day.

These buses are similar to regular service buses that run on Singapore roads and are not the large express tour buses that go to other parts of Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh or Penang.

Said operations officer Wang Liang Jiong of Singapore-Johore Express: “If the opportunity arises, it is definitely one we will consider.

“In the current economic conditions, more people would rather take the bus to Johor than opt for taxis or other means.”

The company, which started in 1947, runs a direct service from Ban San Street terminal in the Bugis area to Larkin terminal in Johor.

A visit by The Straits Times on a weekday afternoon found at least 15 people lining up to buy tickets for the service, which costs S$2.40 (RM5.80) from Singapore to Johor Baru and RM$2.50 on the return leg.

There is no printed schedule for this service, which makes another trip whenever buses return from Johor.

“Traffic jams can really be unpredictable but our customers don't usually have to wait that long for the next bus to arrive,” said Wang.

Also running from Ban San Street to Larkin Terminal is SBS Transit's service 170.

Its other service, 160, runs from the Jurong East Interchange to the Kotaraya II terminal in Johor.

These buses stop at a number of bus stops along the way before crossing over to Johor. The fare costs between 69 cents and S$1.65.

SBS Transit's spokesman said that it would monitor demand for such services before deciding whether to apply for new services.

Like SBS Transit's buses, SMRT's service 950 stops at a number of bus stops in Woodlands before heading to the Kotaraya II terminal.

The fare is between 69 cents and S$1.11 each way, and the bus frequency is less than 15 minutes from Singapore.

Said SMRT's spokesman: “We welcome the move by both governments to enhance travel between Singapore and Johor, and look forward to the opportunity to serve more commuters between the two regions.”

The move follows news that links between Singapore and Malaysia are also taking off aviation-wise.

On Tuesday, carriers on both sides of the Causeway were given the green light to operate between Singapore and six popular destinations in Malaysia, including Ipoh, Kuantan and Malacca. — The Straits Times

(LIKE I SAID, BUS COMPANIES ARE THE BIGGEST WINNERS FROM THIS NEW CIQ BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO TAKE THEM! NO MATTER HOW LONG THE QUEUE IS, YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICES!)

Malay chamber eyes RM10b Gemas-JB double-track railway project
KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia is keen to be the main contractor for the Gemas-Johor Baharu double-track railway line project, president Syed Ali Alattas said today.

He hoped the government would soon call for tender for the RM10 billion project.

“We are waiting for an opportunity from the government to develop the project,” he told a media briefing.

Syed Ali said the chamber intends to develop the project under the Private Finance Initiative.

For the purpose, Yayasan DPMM subsidiary, Master Vendor Corporation Sdn Bhd, signed a memorandum of understanding with China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd four months ago.

“We’ve negotiated with China Railway and they agreed to help us carry out the project,” he said.

Under the MoU, China Railway will, among others, provide the expertise and construction materials and assist Master Vendor to secure financing from Eximbank China.

China Railway is one of the biggest mega construction companies and most influential in China.

“We believe some 1,000 contractors, especially small-time contractors, will benefit from the project,” he said.

Syed Ali also urged the government to re-start the “crooked bridge” project linking Johor Baharu to Singapore to stimulate economic growth in Johor. (COULD, HOW? HOW BEING CROOKED CAN PROVIDE MORE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME!)

He said the chamber received numerous complaints from traders and entrepreneurs in the state that the bridge cancellation in 2006 had impeded their business growth, hence rendering Johor Baharu City “dead”. (EVEN IF IT IS BUILT, THE TRAFFIC IS STILL GOING UP TO THE HILL, AWAY FROM THE CITY CENTRE!)

“Also, the existing road linking Johor Baharu and Singapore is winding and meandering, inconveniencing road users,” he said. (WILL THE CROOKED BRIDGE HAS LESS CORNERS AND MORE LANES? IF NOT, IT WILL BE THE SAME!)

Syed Ali also gave the chamber’s commitment if the government intends to revive the nearly-half-completed bridge project. — Bernama

The return of the ‘crooked bridge’?
JOHOR BARU, April 14 — Over the past few days, the mainstream media has been making a case to revive the crooked bridge across the Johor Strait, a project cancelled by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his early days as prime minister that irked his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Abdullah had cancelled the project in 2006, citing legalities that have to be pursued with Singapore and a high deficit in government spending.

Despite the cancellation, the government had to compensate several contractors linked to the project.

Today, state news agency Bernama reported that reviving the project under the new leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would meet the aspiration of the Johor people, quoting Umno Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad as saying the people wanted the project reconsidered. (WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? ASPIRATION MY ASS!)

“The people of Johor are placing high hopes on the prime minister to review the decision to cancel the crooked bridge project across the Johor Straits. (EVERY USER OF THE CIQ ARE CURSING! WHICH PEOPLE DID YOU ASK?)

“The effects from the construction of the crooked bridge will be most positive to the Johor economy. We urge the government to reconsider (the cancellation) as soon as possible,” said Khalid who is also the Johor Baharu Umno Youth chief, at a media conference, here today. (HOW POSITIVE? IT WILL BE THE SAME WHETHER STRAIGHT OR CROOKED!)

He said although the country was facing the global economic slowdown, the construction of the crooked bridge would stimulate the local economy and bring it out of the recession. (CONSTRUCTION WILL ONLY BENEFIT YOUR OWN PEOPLE!)

“It (the construction of the bridge) is a long-term investment and no one can deny the positive effects arising from the construction of the bridge to the Johor economy and in creating various economic opportunities,” he said. (WHAT OPPORTUNITIES?)

On the possibility of Singapore protesting the revival of the project, he said both countries were capable of avoiding the issue from being made a collateral in resolving outstanding problems.

Yesterday, the public including associations and the Johor Chinese and Indian Chambers of Commerce expressed confidence that the cancellation of the crooked bridge project would be reviewed by Najib’s administration.

The Star newspaper last week also reported that Johor Baru residents and businessmen welcomed the project as the new Custom facilities has diverted traffic from the city.

Pak Lah: Budget deficit killed the crooked bridge
PUTRAJAYA, April 1 – Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi cancelled the so-called crooked bridge project between Johor and Singapore in 2006 because of the huge federal budget deficit then.

He told media editors yesterday that his Cabinet ministers were puzzled by former premier Mahathir Mohamad’s insistence on going ahead with the project.

Datuk Seri Abdullah was asked whether his ties with Tun Dr Mahathir would have been better if the Malaysian government had not scrapped the plans to build the bridge to replace the Johor Causeway.

Abdullah said he had no pre-conceived idea on the project before the decision was made to stop it in April 2006.

“We had to consider it...I didn’t have a pre-conceived idea about it...that I was going to stop it. This was one issue that has been brought up to the Cabinet time and again,” he said.

He said the federal budget had a 5.3 per cent deficit then and if the government had gone ahead with the project, it would not have extra funds to launch an economic stimulus package afterwards.

During his term, Premier Mahathir insisted that he would build an elevated bridge on Malaysia’s side of the border after Singapore said it saw no reason to demolish the Causeway.

Singapore had said it was prepared to agree to the bridge plan if a balance of benefits could be struck for both sides. The S-shaped half-bridge was widely called the “crooked bridge”.

The bridge issue became a major sticking point between Dr Mahathir, who stepped down in October 2003, and his hand-picked successor when the two fell out soon after the project was dropped.

Both leaders had made a public show of rapprochement at Umno’s annual meeting last Saturday. But on Monday, Dr Mahathir told the BBC that “everything went wrong when Abdullah took over”. Yesterday’s comments by Abdullah showed the tension between them remains.

Abdullah said he is convinced that his successor Najib Razak will continue to implement programmes initiated during his administration. He said these included the various development corridors and the Islam Hadhari, or Civilisational Islam, concept that he introduced. – The Straits Times
(FIRST IT WAS THE PEOPLE OF JOHOR BAHRU WHO DON'T WANT IT. THEN, IT WAS THE SAND SELLING TO SINGAPORE AND AIRSPACE GIVEN TO SINGAPORE. NOW THIS? SUDDENLY THE PEOPLE OF JOHOR BAHRU WANT IT AGAIN!)

Construction of crooked bridge meets people's aspiration
(Bernama) - The revival of the crooked bridge project across the Johor Straits under the new leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak meets the aspiration of the Johor people.

Johor UMNO Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad said all the people of Johor, regardless of religious belief and race, wanted the government to review the decision made in 2006 to cancel the construction of the crooked bridge.

"The people of Johor are placing high hopes on the Prime Minister to review the decision to cancel the crooked bridge project across the Johor Straits.

"The effects from the construction of the crooked bridge will be most positive to the Johor economy. We urge the government to reconsider (the cancellation) as soon as possible," said Khalid who is also the Johor Bahru UMNO Youth chief, at a media conference, here today (14 April).

He said although the country was facing the global economic slowdown, the construction of the crooked bridge would stimulate the local economy and bring it out of the recession.

"It (the construction of the bridge) is a long-term investment and no one can deny the positive effects arising from the construction of the bridge to the Johor economy and in creating various economic opportunities," he said.

On the possibility of Singapore protesting the revival of the project, he said both countries were capable of avoiding the issue from being made a collateral in resolving outstanding problems.
Yesterday, the public including associations and the Johor Chinese and Indian Chambers of Commerce expressed confidence that the cancellation of the crooked bridge project would be reviewed by Najib's administration.

Crooked bridge may help biz
(The Straits Times) - SEVERAL Johor business leaders and a state Umno chief have said the so-called crooked bridge project at the Causeway should be revived to help stimulate the economy, media reports said. (STIMULATE YOUR OWN CONTRACTORS' ECONOMY!)

Johor Baru residents and businessmen have welcomed the project, proposed by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad during his term, as the new Customs facilities have diverted traffic from the city.

The opening of the new Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at Bukit Chagar last December saw the old Causeway checkpoint about 500m away closed for good.

Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Soh Poh Sheng said on Monday that he was confident that businesses in the city would boom if the project was revived. 'The bridge will be a landmark for Johor Baru to attract more tourists to the city,' The Star newspaper quoted him as saying. (THIS IS THE MOST FUNNIEST ONE! TOURISTS ARE ATTRACTED TO CROOKED STRUCTURES SINCE YOU CAN ONLY FIND IT IN MALAYSIA!)

State news agency Bernama on Tuesday reported Umno Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad as saying the people of Johor wanted the project reconsidered. On the possibility of Singapore protesting against the revival of the project, he said both countries were capable of preventing 'the issue from being made a collateral in resolving outstanding problems'.

He was talking about a previous plan to build an S-shaped half-bridge across the Strait of Johor to replace Malaysia's side of the Causeway. The plan was scrapped in 2006 by Tun Abdullah Badawi in his early days as prime minister.

Singapore had said it saw no reason to demolish the Causeway, and said it was prepared to agree to the bridge proposal if a balance of benefits could be struck for both sides.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has not spoken publicly about his position on the crooked bridge since taking office.

Speaking days after the decision to abort the project three years ago, Datuk Seri Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister, had said that Malaysia hoped Singapore would one day realise a bridge to replace the 81-year-old Johor Causeway was good for both countries.

Malaysia: The ‘crooked bridge’ returns
Written by Ali Cordoba
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Ali Cordoba - Riau, Indonesia (14th April 2009)

Reports in a local Malaysian newspaper suggests that the famous abandoned ‘crooked bridge’ between Singapore and Malaysia at the Johor Causeway will be back on the table. Instability will be at play and it could lead to another battle of the ‘titans’ within the United Malays National Organization (Umno).

The crooked bridge issue is one that is dear to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the returning leader of the United Malays National Organization (Umno) who is now more powerful than ever behind the scene. Will do or will not do the ‘crooked bridge’? It will all depend on how powerful Tun M as he is commonly called nowadays is within the Prime Minister’s circle.

Two factors will affect the next decision that the Malaysian government will make on the ‘crooked bridge’: Money and bilateral relations.

The recent meeting between Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong was warm and cordial, setting the pace for better relations between the two neighbouring states. Prime Minister Najib Razak has been a regular visitor to Singapore as Minister of Defence and is said to have very good relationship with the ruling class in Singapore, which is a good sign as this may quell any attempts of unwarranted trouble between Malaysian and Singapore.

Malaysia-Singapore ties have warmed since Malaysia's outspoken former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad handed power to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi late in 2003. It is getting warmer now; say observers who added that with Najib in power, the crooked bridge may still be a dead venture despite the strong return of Tun M within the corridors of power in Malaysia.

Former premier Tun Mahathir unveiled the plan for a bridge to replace half the 500-m causeway between the neighbours in 2003, after Singapore rejected a plan to jointly build a bridge to replace the entire causeway.

Malaysia says its bridge, called the "crooked" bridge because of its convoluted design, would boost traffic flow and eases jams on its side of the 81-year-old causeway, allow ships to pass beneath and improve water quality by unblocking the strait.

Lately, Tun M said the bridge may be brought back to the limelight due to the new customs lane built in Johor Bahru (Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex) that has created much controversy and congestion in traffic between Malaysia and Singapore. He said that the bridge will help alleviate the congestion and will also benefit the Iskandar project, which was heavily criticized by Tun M when former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the creation of these projects. Tun M was virulent in his criticism of Badawi upon the rejection of the crooked bridge by the Badawi regime.
As talks on the bridge have dragged on, Malaysia has gone ahead with a key part of its M$1.1 billion ($292 million) project, building a customs, immigration and quarantine centre at Johor Baru, the main gateway to Malaysia from Singapore, wrote the Straits Times in 2006.

Singapore is in disagreement over the bridge due to the following official reasons:
1. It will affect Singapore’s economy
2. It will also disrupt the long standing water supply deal agreement between Malaysia and Singapore
3. It will be an environment disaster altogether

On the other hand, Tun Mahathir insisted the reasons given by Singapore were irrelevant and that the bridge should have been built a long time ago. He rejects the fact that due to the ‘water’ deal with Singapore, the nod of Singapore is needed to build even the Malaysian side of the bridge since this will affect the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore.
This included Malaysia’s obligations under the Johor-Singapore water agreements of 1961 and 1962, the Wayleave Agreements and the Separation Agreement 1965.

The main obstacle to the crooked bridge was that it would involve the demolition of the Malaysian side of the Johor Causeway. The demolition would directly affect the water pipeline located inside the Johor Causeway and water pipelines straddling the Johor Causeway in which the ownership is vested with the Public Utilities Board of Singapore.

Nevertheless, the crooked bridge issue is back on the table and will be much debated soon with Tun M’s insistence that it must be built. Prime Minister Najib Razak, in an interview in the Edge, a Malaysian newspaper, showed he was not that keen on the crooked bridge.

Najib in an interview with The Edge noted that while there may be some individual views about the project there are legal ramifications to consider as well as the financial constraints facing the government. This could lead to the next battle of the titans within the Umno and it could also lead to the possible, early removal of Najib Razak from power if Tun M is dissatisfied in the event he is totally against the construction of the crooked bridge.

WFOL was told in 2006 that the crooked bridge was abandoned in order to prevent any scuffle between Malaysia and Singapore. Building it without the consent of Singapore would surely mean the disruption of the relationship between the two neighbours.

That dream bridge of mine
By LIM MUN FAH/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily

During the Mahathir era, it spanned across the sky, making many think of it day in and day out.

During the Abdullah era, it was killed, making many feel at loss.

During the Najib era, it is resuscitated, making many gleam with excitement.

That, is the bridge in my hometown. The bridge of my dream.

This bridge, a crooked one, will span across the narrow strait, proudly overlooking Johor and Singapore on both sides.

In the artist's rendering, it is as beautiful as the dreamy fairytale world.

It even has an idyllic name, "the Scenic Bridge."

In the end the bridge is never built. And it remains very much the bridge of my dream.

By halting the construction of the bridge, we have compensated RM1.277 billion!

Former prime minister Tun Abdullah said the government was short of cash then, and the budget deficit ran as high as 5.3%.

He said the Cabinet had been discussing about this bridge over and again, and no one could understand why Mahathir had insisted to go ahead with the plan.

Frankly, I also didn't know what was in Mahathir's mind.

I only knew he was very unhappy that Abdullah had shelved the crooked bridge plan.

Again, I had no idea at all why he was so furious about it.

I only knew Mahathir has not been in good terms with Abdullah since then.

Mahathir later said, "I used to swear that I would not poke my finger into the new administration. I did try for some time, but after that crooked bridge incident, we have surrendered our sovereignty to our neighbour. And that is utterly disgraceful!"

He even said, "I could understand why if it were America. But now we are even scared of a tiny country like Singapore.

"I don't think he makes a respectable leader."

Now I know that this bridge entails more than just the intricate politico-business interests, but also our sovereignty and self-esteem!

Abdullah has left, and here comes Najib. And Mahathir.

Mahathir's brainchild is beginning to see some prospects of revival, thanks also to the strong endorsement from Johor UMNO Youth.

In an identical tone to that of Mahathir, Johor UMNO Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad said if Singapore did not agree to the plan, we could always build a crooked bridge entirely on Malaysian territory.

Khalid Mohamad claimed that the crooked bridge would bring more positive impact on Johor's economy.

But he failed to tell me whether this "half bridge," which can only be built up to the midline of the Johor Strait, would promote the state's economy, or send the economy back in time by half a century.
I am wondering whether the bridge of my dream is to be built with our economy in mind, or our politicians.