| Agence
France Presse December 14, 2003 KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must convince neighbouring Singapore to cooperate in building a new bridge linking the two countries, a MP was reported saying Sunday, Dec 14. Malaysia has pledged M$1.1 billion to build a curving bridge on its side of the Tebrau Straits to replace an 80-year-old Causeway. But Singapore pulled out of the project a year ago because Malaysia refused to discuss supplying water to the city-state after 2061, a major irritant between the two countries. Malaysia's opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) has criticised the plans saying a half-bridge, half-causeway link between the two nations would symbolise a diplomatic failure. But Shahrir Abdul Samad, a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) which heads the federal government, said he was "confident the Prime Minister could convince the island republic to cooperate in the construction of the new bridge to replace the Causeway". Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had said a bridge would improve water quality and allow ships to pass through the Tebrau Straits. |
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