The 48.69km bridge, crossing one of the busiest international shipping waterway, would be the world’s longest, even without including a 71.2km-long highway to be built between Dumai and Pulau Rupat.
The idea to build the bridge was first mooted in 1995 to increase economic opportunities between Malaysia and Indonesia but halted during the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
Strait of Malacca Partners Sdn Bhd owner Lim Sue Beng had already done a feasibility study on the bridge and presented a paper at the 8th Asean Leadership Forum at Hotel Nikko in Jakarta in May 2011.
The company also appointed the Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey & Design Institute of China to prepare the bridge design.
The project was again discussed during the 10th Chief Ministers and Governors’ Forum (CMGF) of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) held in Koh Samui, Thailand, on Sept 12.
Among the matters discussed was the economic potential and strategic positioning of the IMT-GT with the construction of the bridge.
It has been reported that the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China had agreed to finance 85% of the bridge’s cost of about RM44.3billion.
Another job creation, this project, almost going nowhere sea bridge, creates jobs for the unemployable graduates from the MU and a conduit for amassing tons of money for the politicians and their cronies. Now is a good idea to create a few more datuks to look after the bridge.
ReplyDeleteThe civil service is bloated with people doing nothing but twiddling their thumbs and that is all they do so I was told. This gives a new meaning to the word "job creation" which is about to go international just when you think they are running out of ideas.
Can you build a bridge across international waters, and what would Ban Kee Moon and the yanks would say ? Well, on the positive side you can employ more people as toll collectors and increase the flow of illegal immigrants, sea pirates and land pirates as well. There will only one way traffic from Sumatra to Malacca. And who would in their right mind would go to Indo land.
I predicted this corrupt fiasco in my satire-fiction novel 'Tiger Isle-A Govt of Thieves'. Check it out at http://esshankar.com/
ReplyDeleteCentre span has to be at least 50 meters above the level of the sea. Can you imagine.
ReplyDeleteThey can calculate and plan all they can, and all it takes is for an earth quake in the island of Sumatra, followed by a tsunami, and the whole bridge will be gone in 60 seconds, and all the billions gone too!
ReplyDeleteO, the bridge oso Made in China. Now you have corruption king coming in to teach you a lesson or two,but unlike you the Chinese do lop your head off every now and then.
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