Singapore and Malaysia hail bridge, mend fences
Singapore and Malaysia hail bridge, mend fences
SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore and Malaysia officially opened a second road link between them yesterday, with their leaders taking the opportunity to reaffirm the diplomatic ties that were strained in a row last year.
Following a multi-religious blessing at the opening ceremony for the new bridge, prime ministers from both sides hailed the "friendly relationship" and "close coordination and cooperation" between the two neighbors.
"Despite the recent hiccup in the relations between Singapore and Malaysia, I am very heartened to note that the economic turmoil that is affecting the...region has, in fact, brought us closer together to try and solve the problems besetting us," Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said at the opening ceremony.
A spat between the two countries began last year when Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in a court affidavit made in public in March that Malaysia's Johor Baru was notorious for shootings, muggings and carjackings.
Lee's comments triggered a heated response from Malaysia, and while Lee twice apologized for the remarks, some media and politicians continued to exchange barbs for months.
"The Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing is not just another great engineering feat. It is the symbol of a new phase in Malaysia-Singapore relationship," Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said at the ceremony.
"We agreed that Singapore and Malaysia would work towards realizing the full potential of bilateral relations, based on the principle of 'prosper thy neighbor'," Goh said.
The new bridge spans 1.9 kilometers across the Strait of Johor, joining Tanjung Kupang in the southern Malaysian state of Johor and Tuas in western Singapore island.
The dual three-lane link can carry up to 200,000 vehicles per day, four times the capacity of the existing link, a causeway, and is expected to reduce severe traffic congestion.
The bridge was opened to vehicles on Jan. 2 but, because of high tolls, has received little traffic.
Speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony, Mahathir said Malaysia would not allow utility companies hit by the regional economic crisis to close.
Responding to a question about whether the government would consider taking a controlling stake in utility companies, Mahathir said: "We cannot allow them to close. It's not their fault."
On Singapore's water supply agreement with Malaysia, Mahathir said the two sides had agreed on conditions but did not give further details.
Singapore, a tiny country with three million people but little water of its own, has two agreements with Malaysia for the supply of water. One expires in 2011, the other in 2060.
Under those agreements, Singapore can draw from Malaysia up to 1.09 billion liters of water per day, just under its consumption of about 1.14 billion liters. The issue is an extremely sensitive one for dependent Singapore.