Third Bridge.

Sometimes in 2005 I took a trip to Batam Island vide ferry from Tanjong Puteri in Johore. It was a nostalgic ferry ride because in 1976 I had taken a speedboat from Pasir Gudang to the Immigration checkpoint at Johore Baharu. There was vast change along the way and when passing the Pasir Gudang Oil Jetty it brought back memories of my days at Pasir Gudang from Dec 1974 to July 1977. The Jetty had expanded and they had installed cranes compared to my days when we had to haul the hoses manually to the ship’s manifold. I had worked on this Jetty through rain and shine, day and nights. Working with ships is a twenty four hours affair.

The ferry passed through Pasir Gudang and cruised by the Singapore side of the Johore Straits. I was amazed when I saw Pulau Tekong Kecil and Pulau Tekong which belong to Singapore had been vastly expanded through reclamation and getting nearer to mainland Singapore. I began to wonder what is Singapore has in mind for these development. My best bet Singapore would want to develop the islands as a port and consequently build a bridge connecting mainland Singapore to the islands. From Pulau Tekong Kecil or Pulau Tekong, Singapore would then propose a bridge connecting mainland Malaysia probably at Kota Tinggi or Desaru.

My prediction came true on 22 May 2009 when the Prime Minister of Malaysia met his counterpart, the Prime Minister of Singapore. A third bridge was proposed on the eastern side of both countries. No wonder Singapore refused to upgrade the Causeway.

On this aspect I think late Tun Razak make a blunder for developing Pasir Gudang as a Port. Why didn’t he think of Tanjong Pelepas then? Mahathir was smarter by having a crooked causeway in mind but Abdullah Badawi scrapped it. Singapore Premier mentality is always one step ahead of ours.

The third bridge would be built but Johore Baru would remain chaotic. The third bridge is for whose benefit? Malaysians or Singaporeans? The water near the causeway would remain stagnant and polluted. Whatever….before the third bridge to be considered, the causeway should be sorted out.