Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Singapore has deemed the bridge project across the Straits of Johor to replace an existing causeway as unnecessary, but indicated it was willing to cooperate if certain conditions were met.

Singapore wants Malaysia to supply sand for its reclamation and construction projects and permission to use the airspace over Malaysian state Johor for its defense training, the foreign minister was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency.

But these are sensitive matters, and officials from both countries will hold a new round of negotiations in Singapore at the end of the month or early March. He said efforts to reach a compromise must be accelerated as talks had stretched for several years.

Singapore officials did not immediately confirm that they had requested such concessions.

Malaysia has proposed replacing the one-kilometer (0.6-mile) causeway linking the two countries with a new bridge, and says it will start work on a bridge halfway to Singapore - even though the city-state hasn't yet agreed to build the other half.

Syed Hamid said the half bridge is in Malaysia's territorial waters and need not be discussed with Singapore.

"We would continue with whatever work that needs to be done on our side. It is Malaysia's right and sovereignty, and Singapore has recognized that. Why should we involve other people in works that are done in our territorial waters and on our own land?" he said.

More than 100,000 people cross the 80-year-old causeway over the Straits of Johor each day, and Malaysian officials have said a new bridge would ease congestion and boost the flow of traffic between the neighbors.

The project had been part of an earlier deal that included contentious talks on Malaysia's supply of water to Singapore and other bilateral matters, but negotiations stopped in 2002 without a resolution.

The two countries have a history of diplomatic spats, but have close economic and cultural ties.

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