It’s the silly season again.
The takeover of IJN (thankfully aborted).
The proposed Sime Darby-Air Asia airport in Negri Sembilan.
Not to be left out, the Malacca government has suggested a fanciful RM38 billion 52km bridge from Malacca to Sumatra.
The bridge proposal is of course a resurrection of the old Mahathir administration’s ‘brainwave’ of a Malaysia-Sumatra bridge, which was fortunately scrapped with the onset of the East Asian financial crisis in 1997.
If I remember correctly, the estimated cost mentioned back then was RM60 billion?
These guys don’t know the meaning of sustainable transport and global warming, much less ‘opportunity cost’. At least Najib is smart enough to say the ferry service is sufficient. He says a feasibility study is needed first to evaluate this “bright” idea.
Says blog reader Ganesh:
Look at this brilliant idea. Only BN can think of it. The people here are suffering … and we want to spend RM38 billion on a bridge? With RM38 billion, we can lift every poor person in Malaysia to middle-class level.
This report from the NST:
MALACCA: The government will conduct a feasibility study on the suggested 52km bridge linking Malacca to Dumai in Sumatra, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.
He said the study would determine the viability of the bridge, taking into consideration the cost, expected revenue and present economic situation.
“It may become a reality in the near future. But for now, I think the ferry service is sufficient.”
The Malacca government had earlier suggested the construction of the bridge which was estimated to cost US$11 billion (RM38 billion).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had said that the bridge would have great economic potential, considering the population in Sumatra had reached 70 million compared with Singapore with only four million.
He said the idea of the bridge had been raised in 1995, but was put on hold a few years later due to the financial crisis then affecting both countries.
“There are numerous factors to consider before we can embark on such a huge project. We will decide after a feasibility study is done.”
What is the rationale to spend RM 38 billion on a bridge ? The govt had so many problems with the second Penang bridge whuch costs only RM 3-4 billion and yet talk of RM 38 billion.
Who is going to benefit ? The approving authority ? ; the Medan residents ? the returning indonesian workers ?
This does not benefit any tax paying Malaysian at all !
The Federal govt spends many nights and days opposing the second Penang bridge commencement and yet talk about the Melaka-Medan connection !
Really nuts talking.
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If you want spend RM 38 billion to build a bridge, why don’t government buy back all the TOLLS and set the RAKYAT free from the burden of paying tolls.
If BN big fellers wanted to see Sumatra Rhinos please use plane lah.
Advice to Indonesia government,
Take good care of your Sumatra Rhinos otherwise they will all be extincted by no time. You knowlah our beloved politician “sapu” everythings.
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Hey, its a damn good idea! Lets build the bridge & screw up the world of international shipping. Kill off Port Klang & Tanjung Pelepas and subsequently our economy.
What bright ideas will come next from those politikus in Malacca?
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If the original figure for the bridge was RM60 bil, then, it must be the most expensive bridge in the world as it would be RM1 billion per KM.
Already, our highways are the most expensive in the world, up to RM100 million per KM.
How can 1KM of road cost RM100 mil is a big wonder especially when virtually all the workers are Bangladeshi or Indonesian.
First world countires with very high wages also don’t spend millions on per KM of road.
And now, RM1 billion per KM of bridge?
It would also be easier for illegal immigrants to enter Malaysia. You can put immigration there but somehow, they will come through. If Malaysian passports can be sold in the UK, anything is possible.
Also, Sumatera is earthquake prone, especially the seabed. How to put bridge?
How come those who suggested the bridge never thought about earthquake?
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After this, the next bright UMNOputra idea will be to built a bridge from Putrajaya to the moon.
Cost RM10 trillion. Malaysia Boleh!
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We “tumpang” a seat and blasted off into space. Now we want to build a long bridge over “troubled waters”. Next, we will invent a rocket-speed super-lift that can take us to the moon. I REALLY LOVE MALAYSIA!
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Exactly who’s idiotic idea was this? If we had this kind of money for such creative, non beneficial to rakyat kind of projects, I would say ‘buy up the North south hwy first and rid the taxpayers of the exhorbitant tolls Damn BN…!
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….I just can’t stop laughing. sorry.
Build a brigde to sumatra??? Don’t we have better thing to spend with the money. Building driveable road in Sabah and Sarawak. O..let me tell you, 700meter bridge Crossing Rejang river in Durin sarawak toook about 20Years to complete (the politician use it as election MODAL for at least sarawak state election campaign. Another bridge in Lanang sibu also crossing Rejang River..also about 700m …took 2 years to finish but the toll they have to pay is almost the same penang people pay crossing 11km penang bridge. Even motorcycle have to pay toll to cross the bridge. If you to go to sarawak to see the bridge tell me and i will show you the beloved blood sucker bridge.
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Who’ll be using the bridge and paying the sky-high toll? (There are some beautiful bridges in Batam that nobody uses.) Will someone from Medan choose to drive to Melaka when they can take a 45 min flight to Penang or KLIA?
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I don’t see the logic behind it except maybe creating more millionaires or should I say billionaires among their cronies. And where do we get that RM38billion? Steal from the tax-payers or EPF again?
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Why not a bridge from Melaka to Mekah? Then no need for tabung Haji anymore. …
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“white elephant” mega projects are necessary to reward cronies before they abandon UMNO dominant BN . No logic or reason required in Bolehland.
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Please not to underestimate. 70 millions r huge populations compare to 4 millions sing. Indonesia economy estimate to grow 4-5%. Our sing negative 4-5% + pig flu shame to singapore. M.A.S should learn from indo this time. Shame on you.
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Moonrider
January 8th, 2009 at 1.04pm · Reply
wasting money! Why not used RM5 billion to build penang bridge .. Building this bridge will bring more and more Indonesians to our country .. sooner Melaka will be take over by foreigner .. Look at Kota raya now …..
RM38 billion why not used to build a bridge to link Kelantan to Sarawak .. top up little bit ….
RM38 billion why not used to give free education to everyone .. from kindergarden to secondary school ….
The idiots compare Sumatra and Singapore ..
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Moonrider,dont be an idiot.RM 38b wont make you a bridge frm Kelantan to Sarawak.In fact,it wont even make 1/10 of the bridge.
Even more Johor to Sarawak would cost more than double or triple of RM 38b.
But having said that,it does not make economical sense to build a RM 38b bridge to Sumatra.
It will bring more Indons into Melaka,which means more crime and Melaka will turn into a foreigners haven.
Besides,the toll charges of RM 266 to RM 300 is crazily high.So to say there will be 15000 cars plying the bridge daily is nonsense.
And how much trade is going on between Indon and M’sia to warrant such a mega project???!!
Why can the G’ment be more logical and use the $$ for more meaningful projects that benefit the RAKYAT instead of coming up with a bridge that maybe not even 1% of the population will ever use besides all those lorries and tankers delivering goods.
How many ppl actually are going to drive down to Sumatra once the bridge opens? I guess not many…
And to make so near a earthquake hotspot is such a dumb decision.Imagine the whole bridge crumbling once an earthquake hits.
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This is an utterly stupid idea. What benefit to the people that the people of Malaysia can get out of this? With that kind of money, the whole education system can be upgraded, more value added jobs can be created, and people’s livelihood can improve. Who the heck needs a bridge across an international maritime route??!
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