KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 ― Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin said yesterday that the state prioritises housing and clean water supply over the discontinued “Crooked Bridge” project.
Local daily the New Straits Times reported Khaled as saying that the Johor state government will not revive the project and that any talks instead would likely centre on the underground tunnel proposed during the Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat last year.
“I have been informed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (about the crooked bridge) and the state government will abide by the federal government’s decision,” Khaled was quoted saying.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently told Perak Today in an interview that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not talk to him for six months after a dinner discussion that had ended in questions over the delay of the “Crooked Bridge” project.
Najib told TV3 in a televised interview last Thursday that Dr Mahathir wanted the 1 Malaysia People’s Aid cash aid policy scrapped and the “Crooked Bridge” project to be revived — two issues that he said could have been part of the reason why the former prime minister has become more vocal in his criticisms towards him.
The so-called “Crooked Bridge” was Dr Mahathir’s idea to replace the Causeway linking Johor and Singapore, but was discontinued by his successor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and believed to be among reasons why the latter was hounded out of office by the man who put him there.
Dr Mahathir has recently been pushing for Najib’s resignation, saying that the prime minister’s refusal to address allegations on 1Malaysia Development Bhd and the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu put Barisan Nasional’s rule at risk.
