Malaysia announced yesterday that it had plans to build a bridge or tunnel linking the country to Indonesia. Melaka investment, industry, entrepreneur development, and cooperatives committee chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh said the state intends to build a 120-km route, linking Malaysia to Indonesia via Telok Gong in Masjid Tanah and Dumai in Sumatra.
He said the project which will be developed with the cooperation of the private sector is expected to take 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. 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,” Ab Rauf explained.
The project, he added, would be a new symbol for Malaysia and Indonesia and would be created in accordance with the “One Belt, One Road” idea. Along with building the link, the plan also calls for building a number of facilities, such as immigration buildings and spaces for distributing traffic.
Ab Rauf added that a brand-new industrial site would be built at Masjid Tanah across a space of around 2,023 hectares. This will be done by Melaka Corporation, previously Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka (PKNM), and is anticipated to help the district’s creation of a new town.
