Old Mahathir Mohamad was not always pals with Singapore. What about the new one?
Relations between Malaysia and Singapore went through a thawing period under Najib Razak, but things might get cool again as Mahathir Mohamad – and his ‘my way or the highway’ approach – returns to power
Does Mahathir Mohamad’s return to power in Malaysia mean Singapore will soon find itself fending off – once again – the veteran leader’s grand plan for a so-called crooked bridge between the two countries?
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The idea for the bridge dates back to 2001, when Mahathir wanted to replace the 1km causeway that links Malaysia and Singapore with a bridge to improve traffic flow and – crucially for the Malaysian economy – allow ships to cross the Johor Strait, providing a boon to the ports in Johor, Malaysia. Singapore never agreed, saying the project was unnecessary because the causeway was in good condition.
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Experts often cite Mahathir’s insistence in the following years on building a six-lane, curved motorway, or crooked bridge, on Malaysia’s end of the causeway – to circumvent Singapore’s reticence – as a prime example of his “my way or the highway” approach to dealing with the city state.
The plan fell through during the tenure of his successor Abdullah Badawi, and when the just-beaten Najib Razak took over in 2009, he too refused to take up the cudgels for Mahathir’s bridge plan.
In an interview with This Week in Asia last year, Mahathir said his approach to Singapore was grounded on one fundamental rule: “As far as Malaysia is concerned, Singapore is a foreign country.”
“If we want to do anything inside our country, we don’t have to ask anyone for permission,” he said.