Madura bridge needs approval

SEMARANG, Central Java: State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie said the construction of a 20-kilometer bridge between Java and Madura island would only proceed with the approval of the local people.

"If the people support the project, the bridge will be constructed. On the other hand, the project will not go ahead if the people are against it," he told Moslem scholars and ulemas during a meeting at Diponegoro University.

Habibie, who is also chairman of the Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), said the government plans to build the bridge with the intention of accelerating economic development on the island.

The bridge's construction still hangs in the balance because no final agreement has been made between the government and the local people. (har)