Melaka State Govt Plans To Build 120KM Bridge Between Malaysia & Indonesia
According to the Melaka state government, the development is expected to take 20 years to complete.
By May Vin Ang — 09 Sep 2022, 03:14 PM
The Melaka state government has announced that it has greenlit a proposal to build a link between Malaysia and Indonesia via the state
According to Bernama, Melaka Investment, Industry, Entrepreneur Development, and Cooperatives Committee chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh said that the link would either be a bridge or a tunnel and would take about 20 years to complete.
"The proposal on the project has been submitted by the private sector and both countries have in principle agreed to a detailed study on the matter," he told reporters on Thursday, 8 September.
"On the part of the state government, we have brought all government agencies to visit the area where the proposed new route will be built."
The project will connect Telok Gong in Masjid Tanah, Melaka to Kota Dumai in Sumatra, involving a distance of 120km
Ab Rauf added that when the bridge is completed, it would have a major impact on the economic development of both countries.
The chairman said that the project will be built using the concept of "One Belt One Road", and that it would be a new icon for the two countries.
The route will also involve the construction of various infrastructure, including traffic dispersal areas and an Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex.
He said a new town and industrial site would also be developed in stages by Melaka Corp at Masjid Tanah, covering an area of 2,023 hectares.
It is unclear if the bridge is the same as the controversial proposal made close to three decades ago in 1995
According to Asia One, the previous proposal of a Melaka-Dumai bridge was to span 48.7km across the Straits of Malacca and continue by a 71.2km-long expressway from Pulau Rupat to Dumai on Sumatra island.
However, the project was abandoned due to environmental concerns and the 1997 economic crisis.
