Bridge over the Malacca Strait: Gateway to nowhere
Mohd Hazmi Bin Mohd Rusli and Ade Maman Suherman
Kuala Lumpur/Purwokerto
Southeast Asia is anxiously anticipating the proposed construction of a land bridge across the Kra Isthmus in southern Thailand. Many, however, have forgotten the long-overdue proposed bridge project across the Strait of Malacca connecting the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. If built, will this bridge become an imposing gateway to Southeast Asia? This project underwent an initial feasibility test more than a decade ago. If this project is to progress, it may incur a whopping construction cost of more than 52 billion ringgit (US$12.67 billion). This proposed bridge may reach the length of 127.92 kilometers from one end to the other, stimulating economic growth for both countries. Teluk Gong in Malacca is the Malaysian terminus for the bridge and it ends at the port city of Dumai in Riau province. The proposed Strait of Malacca Bridge is likely to resemble the Oresund Bridge that connec…