Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUALALUMPUR679
2006-04-14 08:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:
MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE
how-toVZCZCXRO3328 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHKL #0679 1040834 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 140834Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6389 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000679
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL ELTN SN MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Brian H Phipps for reasons
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000679
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL ELTN SN MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Brian H Phipps for reasons 1.
4 b and d.
1. (C) On April 12, the Government of Malaysia announced that
Malaysia would abandon its plan to build a new bridge across
the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore. When
Singapore's leaders had balked at Malaysian plans to replace
an existing 82-year old causeway with a new bridge, the
Malaysian government announced that they would build a
"scenic" half-bridge to join up with Singapore's side of the
causeway at the boundary line. This plan, which local MP Nur
Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had
some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the
need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that
supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water.
Demolishing its own side of the causeway could have put
Malaysia in breach of a longstanding bilateral water sharing
agreement with Singapore. Malaysia had wanted to build the
bridge to improve shipping access to and between the ports of
Johor Baru and Port Tanjung Pelepas (PTP),as well as to
enrich contractors linked to Malaysia's ruling political
coalition. Press reports indicate that the bridge
contractors will be paid some 27 million USD in compensation
on what was to have been a 300 million USD project.
2. (C) Malaysia's government-controlled press was filled with
articles justifying the project's cancellation and blaming
the move on Singaporean intransigence. Johor state
politicians have been vocal in their opposition to supposed
Singaporean conditions for agreeing to the bridge project --
free passage through a small area of Malaysian airspace in
order to facilitate access to international airspace for
military training and exercises, and permission to purchase
Malaysian sand for Singaporean land reclamation projects.
These influential politicians, including the state's Chief
Minister Abdul Ghani Othman, outspoken Backbenchers' Club
President MP Sharir Samad, and MP Nur Jazlan owe their local
political reputations to standing up to and playing tough
with Singapore. While Singaporean tourists in search of
bargains make an important contribution to the local economy,
the richer, more successful Singaporeans also generate
resentment in neighboring Johor. One discordant voice in the
chorus of those supporting the decision was Mahathir Mohamad,
the former PM, who himself originally proposed replacing the
causeway with a bridge in 1996.
LAFLEUR
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL ELTN SN MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Brian H Phipps for reasons 1.
4 b and d.
1. (C) On April 12, the Government of Malaysia announced that
Malaysia would abandon its plan to build a new bridge across
the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore. When
Singapore's leaders had balked at Malaysian plans to replace
an existing 82-year old causeway with a new bridge, the
Malaysian government announced that they would build a
"scenic" half-bridge to join up with Singapore's side of the
causeway at the boundary line. This plan, which local MP Nur
Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had
some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the
need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that
supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water.
Demolishing its own side of the causeway could have put
Malaysia in breach of a longstanding bilateral water sharing
agreement with Singapore. Malaysia had wanted to build the
bridge to improve shipping access to and between the ports of
Johor Baru and Port Tanjung Pelepas (PTP),as well as to
enrich contractors linked to Malaysia's ruling political
coalition. Press reports indicate that the bridge
contractors will be paid some 27 million USD in compensation
on what was to have been a 300 million USD project.
2. (C) Malaysia's government-controlled press was filled with
articles justifying the project's cancellation and blaming
the move on Singaporean intransigence. Johor state
politicians have been vocal in their opposition to supposed
Singaporean conditions for agreeing to the bridge project --
free passage through a small area of Malaysian airspace in
order to facilitate access to international airspace for
military training and exercises, and permission to purchase
Malaysian sand for Singaporean land reclamation projects.
These influential politicians, including the state's Chief
Minister Abdul Ghani Othman, outspoken Backbenchers' Club
President MP Sharir Samad, and MP Nur Jazlan owe their local
political reputations to standing up to and playing tough
with Singapore. While Singaporean tourists in search of
bargains make an important contribution to the local economy,
the richer, more successful Singaporeans also generate
resentment in neighboring Johor. One discordant voice in the
chorus of those supporting the decision was Mahathir Mohamad,
the former PM, who himself originally proposed replacing the
causeway with a bridge in 1996.
LAFLEUR