PM Ahmad Badawi believes that in the future, there will be many bridges built to link Malaysia and Singapore just as there are more than 2000 over bridges in New York and over 20 over the Han River in Seoul, Korea, the STAR (May12, 2007).
While we can only speculate the basis to the PM's belief (since beliefs need no factual foundation), I would beg to differ if bridges per se are the solutions to the actual problem of process bottle necks arising from he necessary and unnecessary CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) processes and procedures, given the sovereignty and pride of both nations to symbolize it through their separate CIQ processes: Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore are TWO different countries, they used to be together as ONE, albeit for a brief moment in history in the 1960s.
One of the common basis on the need for another bridge is the perennial traffic congestion, but the question is what causes the congestion on the Causeway in the first place and what is it that a bridge can solve that a causeway could not?
Is there magic in a Bridge that a Causeway has not?
The so called "Second Link", a bridge built more than 15 years ago as the answer to the traffic congestion problem on the Causeway hardly even ever solve an iota of the problem on the Causeway; it only solve the problem on the Bridge because commuters found Bridge's toll too expensive and also too out of the way for most people on either side of the Straits.
The Second Link remains under utilized, even up till today, no surprises though. But what baffles me is that certain people see Bridges as the solution to traffic congestion: build a bridge and there will be no congestion on it; build a causeway and it will be a sure way to ensure congestion!
What logic!
Sigh! On the other hand, in Bolehland, even the absurd is plausible!
The Second Link costs more than 10 times more, is inaccessible unless you are prepared to drive.
The congestion on the Causeway is in juxtaposition to the Second Link Bridge because of economics and convenience, nothing magical in that a bridge will somewhat chase all the congestion away!
The other causes to the congestion is the necessary CIQ clearance on both sides of the Causeway, a problem inherent in linking two countries together, because each country wants to stamp their sovereignty through at least some form of rudimentary CIQ clearance.
Therefore, unlike New York or Seoul where the bridges are within the same domain and need no CIQ clearance, the bridges that are believed by the PM to be built in the future, can only be pipe dreams, unless of course, he is not saying that Singapore will in the future be part of Malaysia again.
It sometime baffles me as to what material or the lack of it that politicians are made up of.
They get elected to office not because they are people of substance and integrity, but because they know how to play the political game well and be popular rather than effective.
Where are the JFKs and Indira Ghandis of Malaysia?
Alas, I hope there is still hope for Malaysia, for if our leaders could not even see the clear black and white issues about a simple logistics problem over two domains but continue to hallucinate and dream in fancy rainbow vividness, will Malaysia ever be able to be lead out of its current murkiness?
God, have mercy on the people of Malaysia!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Pipeline PipeDream?
I have just heard on Channel News Asia (07May2007) that the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ahmad Badawi has just announced that Malaysia will be building a couple of billion Ringgit worth pipeline to channel crude oil carried on ships from the Middle East at a point on the western side of northern Peninsular Malaysia to another point on the north eastern side to be processed into refined petroleum for export to the Far East (China, Japan, Indo-China, Taiwan etc).
News had it that this is in response to the increasing unease about security in the Straits of Malacca, ranging from piracy, terrorism and treats to the environment in the event of an accidental of man made oil spillage.
If and when the project materialises, the implications are major for member ASEAN countries bordering the Straits of Malacca, chiefly Singapore, who in one way of another benefit from ships transiting at en route to the Far East.
We may recall that way back in the late 1800's, there was already a plan proposed by one English gentleman R.W. Duff to build a canal ala the Suez and Panama to cut shipping time by omitting the Straits of Malacca: the Isthmus of Kra Canal.
Three years back, while searching on the Internet for information about the Isthmus of Kra, I was pleasantly surprised that the idea of a canal is not new, it even predates that of Duff's.
It was in fact promulgated by a King of Siam (King Narai the Great, 1677) long before King Mongkut. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kra_Isthmus)
The Kra Canal never got off the ground because the British were dead against it, for it will spell the death of Singapore, their revenue center at the tip of Asia where all sea traffic sailing West to East and vice-versa has to pass through it and pay toll.
The death of the Kra Canal was sealed when the British got the Siamese to sign a treaty in 1897, agreeing never to build a canal that could threathen the survival of Singapore.
Once in a while, the idea of a Kra Canal will pop up but somehow, the Thais show no passion about it though it was first mooted by a Thai King long ago.
The Isthmus of Kra is actually a very narrow strip of land, no more than 50km at its widest and given the technology we have today, building a canal to handle even the biggest of the super tankers will take no more than 1 year.
Of course cutting the Kra is like cutting the umbilical cord that connects Bangkok to the restive south, not a good idea when Bangkok is at wits ends on how to win back the breaking away southern territories.
But on the other hand, making a cut is also tantamount to containment, sending a message that Bangkok is containing the south so that it can be better controlled.
Rationally, the Kra Canal is better idea, economically, logistically, strategically etc as not only oil tankers can use it, but all kinds of sea going vessels.
With an area less than 50km long, it is also easier to secure.
It will be interesting what will conspire these coming weeks.
Will Singapore gang up with Thailand to build the Kra Canal with US blessings, since if you are going to lose business, you may as well mitigate potential losses by sharing future profits?
From the point of conservation, sustainable and renewable development, the Kra Canal is long overdue. Everyday, needless travel have to be done by thousands of ships sailing from the West to the East or to the South by passing through the narrow and pirate infested Straits of Malacca and if traffic continues to increase, it is a matter of when, not if a major oil spill will occur, impacting on the environment and life here in at least three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Well, for all we know, the PipeLine Project could well be just a PipeDream Project but we can be certain that Singapore will not be sitting pretty...something is in the pipeline...and will be happening soon.
News had it that this is in response to the increasing unease about security in the Straits of Malacca, ranging from piracy, terrorism and treats to the environment in the event of an accidental of man made oil spillage.
If and when the project materialises, the implications are major for member ASEAN countries bordering the Straits of Malacca, chiefly Singapore, who in one way of another benefit from ships transiting at en route to the Far East.
We may recall that way back in the late 1800's, there was already a plan proposed by one English gentleman R.W. Duff to build a canal ala the Suez and Panama to cut shipping time by omitting the Straits of Malacca: the Isthmus of Kra Canal.
Three years back, while searching on the Internet for information about the Isthmus of Kra, I was pleasantly surprised that the idea of a canal is not new, it even predates that of Duff's.
It was in fact promulgated by a King of Siam (King Narai the Great, 1677) long before King Mongkut. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kra_Isthmus)
The Kra Canal never got off the ground because the British were dead against it, for it will spell the death of Singapore, their revenue center at the tip of Asia where all sea traffic sailing West to East and vice-versa has to pass through it and pay toll.
The death of the Kra Canal was sealed when the British got the Siamese to sign a treaty in 1897, agreeing never to build a canal that could threathen the survival of Singapore.
Once in a while, the idea of a Kra Canal will pop up but somehow, the Thais show no passion about it though it was first mooted by a Thai King long ago.
The Isthmus of Kra is actually a very narrow strip of land, no more than 50km at its widest and given the technology we have today, building a canal to handle even the biggest of the super tankers will take no more than 1 year.
Of course cutting the Kra is like cutting the umbilical cord that connects Bangkok to the restive south, not a good idea when Bangkok is at wits ends on how to win back the breaking away southern territories.
But on the other hand, making a cut is also tantamount to containment, sending a message that Bangkok is containing the south so that it can be better controlled.
Rationally, the Kra Canal is better idea, economically, logistically, strategically etc as not only oil tankers can use it, but all kinds of sea going vessels.
With an area less than 50km long, it is also easier to secure.
It will be interesting what will conspire these coming weeks.
Will Singapore gang up with Thailand to build the Kra Canal with US blessings, since if you are going to lose business, you may as well mitigate potential losses by sharing future profits?
From the point of conservation, sustainable and renewable development, the Kra Canal is long overdue. Everyday, needless travel have to be done by thousands of ships sailing from the West to the East or to the South by passing through the narrow and pirate infested Straits of Malacca and if traffic continues to increase, it is a matter of when, not if a major oil spill will occur, impacting on the environment and life here in at least three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Well, for all we know, the PipeLine Project could well be just a PipeDream Project but we can be certain that Singapore will not be sitting pretty...something is in the pipeline...and will be happening soon.
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