“This came from Johor. They said they want to build a crooked bridge but someone said no crooked bridge, but third bridge,” Mahathir told reporters at the Parliament lobby today, referring to deputy defence minister and DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong’s third bridge announcement yesterday.
“You have to ask for consent from Singapore, but Singapore might not give consent. The crooked bridge doesn’t involve Singapore at all, so we can build it at any time.
“But for the third bridge, we must get permission from Singapore,” Mahathir said.
Asked if the third bridge would be explored in the near future all the same, Mahathir said it would.
Yesterday, Liew said his party was supportive of any plan for a third bridge connecting with Singapore, but that a crooked bridge, as mooted by Mahathir, was not an “immediate priority”.
Mahathir had first mooted the crooked bridge idea at the tail-end of his first tenure as prime minister, from 1981 to 2003.
He said Malaysia would build a crooked bridge – a six-lane, S-shaped highway curving to allow the passage of ships below it – if Singapore refused to demolish its half of the Causeway.
His successor, Abdullah Badawi, decided against the project, as did Najib Razak, who succeeded Abdullah.
The crooked bridge plan was brought into the spotlight once more on Tuesday by Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian, who said he had proposed the idea to Mahathir and hoped he would approve the request.
Singapore was reported to be against it as it would bring no benefits to it.
Osman said if the crooked bridge is built, it will allow ships to sail smoothly to Pasir Gudang port, improve water flow and reduce water pollution along the Tebrau Straits.
“Last time, Mahathir wanted this bridge and told former prime ministers Abdullah and Najib but they didn’t want it.
“He’s the PM now and last month asked me if Johor still needs the crooked bridge.
“I said it was up to him because it was his idea. If he wants to build it, I will just follow.”
Osman also said the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System from Singapore to Bukit Chagar would help boost Johor’s growth.
He also said he would be visiting Singapore with Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali soon to discuss issues related to water, bilateral relations and investment.
Najib has since said it would look “weird” if Malaysia built its own bridge on its side of the Causeway.
He said Singapore had said it wanted to use the Causeway for another 30 years and questioned if the crooked bridge project would benefit Malaysia as a whole.
Meanwhile, Bernama quoted a spokesman for the republic’s foreign affairs ministry as saying Singapore had not received any official proposal or communication from Malaysia related to the construction of a crooked bridge or any other new link between the two countries.