Making his stand clear on the prolonged issue of a bridge to replace the 80-year-old Causeway, Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said without it, several roads here would remain congested and the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex being built would become a “white elephant.”

“We need a (new) bridge and we need to ensure that construction begins as soon as possible.

“It does not matter if it will be crooked or straight.

“We are already behind time and the CIQ complex is expected to be completed next year,” he told reporters after chairing the Johor Umno liaison committee meeting yesterday.

Ghani explained that the new CIQ complex could not be utilised if the bridge was not constructed, adding that the Federal Government was aware of this.

“We have already lost two years and we should not waste any more time. Further delays will have repercussions,” he said, adding that markings for the bridge on the Johor side had been done.

The crooked design of the bridge entails a curved half-bridge built on the Malaysian side to join the Causeway on the Singapore side of the Johor Strait.

Singapore has yet to indicate if it is in favour of a straight bridge to replace the Causeway.

Ghani said the state had also asked Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, developer of the RM2bil Southern Integrated Gateway project, to design a higher bridge.


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