RI, Malaysia to build world's longest bridge

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto gave his blessing yesterday for the construction of a 95-kilometer bridge connecting the Malaysian peninsula and Sumatra.

The bridge will be built by a private consortium of Indonesian and Malaysian companies.

The Indonesian consortium, PT Malindo Transmadu, is headed by Siti Hediati Heriyadi Prabowo, Soeharto's second daughter. Malaysia is represented by Renong Sdn. Bhd.

The project has been dubbed Satuan Pendekat Antar Nusa (Bridge to Bring Islands Closer) or SPAN.

Hediati, known as Titiek, said the main bridge would extend 42 kilometers across the Strait of Malacca, then 47 kilometers across an island in Riau and another six kilometers from the island to mainland Riau.

The island's name was not disclosed, but Antara reported that it was Rupat Island.

Once completed, Titiek expects 2,000 to 5,000 vehicles will use the bridge each day.

The toll road bridge will be about 36 meters wide and stand 75 to 90 meters above the sea.

"It will not disturb sea traffic (across the Strait of Malacca)," said Titiek, who is wife of Special Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto.

Despite the detailed plans, she would not reveal when construction would start.

"We can only start construction after receiving approval from the IMO," she said referring to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Approval is needed to ensure that the bridge does not interfere with international sea passage in the narrow straits.

"This is a long-term project and we won't start it in the near future," Titiek said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad first proposed the project to Soeharto when they met in Kuala Lumpur in October. The proposal was raised in June when the two met at the Development Eight (D- 8) summit in Istanbul.

Titiek would not elaborate further, saying only they had just completed a five-year feasibility study.

She also refused to name potential shareholders.

"Only after presenting this project to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad can we reveal further details," she added.

She was confident that the project, estimated to take five years, would not burden the government.

"Our financial resources will come from the capital market, issuance of bonds and long-term loans from international banking syndications," she said without giving an estimate.

Present at yesterday's meeting at Bina Graha presidential office were president director of ALatief Corporation Usman Ja'far and director of the Maharani Group Hendro Martowardoyo.

The Malaysians were represented by Malaysian government economic advisor Daim Zainuddin, Tan Sri Halim Saad from Renong Sdn. Bhd and Ramli Mohammad from United Engineers Bhd. (prb)