Malaysia-Indonesia bridge is a tall order

A MALAYSIAN plan to construct a 49-kilometre bridge - first mooted in 1995 - between Malacca and Dumai in Indonesia is being revived. Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron revealed that the project's details would be disclosed once all the mechanisms were in place.

Apparently, the proposal was discussed at an Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle meeting on Sept 12. Even if only for the sake of Malaysia's beleaguered budget balance sheet, the idea should be shelved, if not dumped.

Even the Indonesians think so; in March, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters that he had axed the idea nearly four years ago because such a bridge would merely facilitate the depletion of Sumatra's resources. Moreover, Indonesia believes (quite understandably) that a bridge between Java and Sumatra should take precedence over a bridge between Indonesia and Malaysia.