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Cabinet tomorrow should suspend the construction of the RM1.1 billion “crooked half-bridge” to replace Malaysia’s half of the Johore-Singapore causeway and propose a joint commission  of eminent Malaysians and Singaporeans to  make recommendations to resolve outstanding knotty issues between the two countries

Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Penang,  Tuesday): DAP welcomes the breakthrough achieved by the Prime Ministers of  Malaysia and Singapore, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Goh Chok Tong yesterday  to “think out of the box” to  untie the “dead knots” between the two countries to resolve outstanding bilateral disputes. 

The Cabinet tomorrow should take two steps to promote this new spirit of “relooking” at the outstanding  Malaysia-Singapore differences, viz: 

  • suspend the construction of the RM1.1 billion “crooked half-bridge” to replace Malaysia’s half of the Johore-Singapore causeway; and
  • propose a joint commission  of eminent Malaysians and Singaporeans to  make recommendations to resolve outstanding knotty issues between the two countries

The Joint Commission of eminent Malaysians and Singaporeans should be empowered to focus on all the thorny differences between the two countries, which include:

  • the price of raw water supplied from Johor to the republic;
  • the shifting of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu station from Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands;
  • the relocation of the Malaysian Customs and Immigration Complex in Tanjung Pagar;
  • the Central Provident Fund withdrawals by workers from Peninsular Malaysia in Singapore;
  • the use of Malaysian airspace by low-flying Singapore air force jets; and
  • the proposed construction of an elevated bridge to replace the existing causeway over the Straits of Johor.
     

The Joint Commission of Eminent Persons should also be empowered to “relook” at two issues which had been referred to third-party arbitration - the  territorial dispute over Pulau Batu Puteh and reclamation works around Pulau Tekong.

Last September, multi-billionaire Tan Sri Robert Kuok said Malaysia and Singapore should try patching things up as  the two nations still have to live like brothers in the next 100 or 200 years.

Robert Kuok noted  that the 'brotherly spirit' between Malaysia and Singapore had been on the wane since the two countries separated 38 years ago but he  was sure that things would be better if the two countries initiated moves to mend fences.  He was optimistic that things would work out between the two countries, and urged the Malaysian government not to be swayed by emotions in resolving problems with Singapore.

DAP  had supported Robert Kuok’s call that Malaysia and Singapore should try patching things up and a joint commission of eminent Malaysians and Singaporeans, probably  headed by Robert Kuok,  to make recommendations to restore good bilateral relations between the two governments and countries would  set a good  example of good neighbourliness and the ASEAN spirit of solidarity to the rest of the world – and save Malaysia, Singapore and ASEAN from the international shame of a crooked “bridge of infamy” to immortalize the small-mindedness of their leaders.

(13/1/2004)

* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman