Melaka To Build a 120KM Bridge To Indonesia

Melaka To Build a 120KM Bridge To Indonesia. The 120KM bridge will start from Masjid Tanah in Melaka and connect to Kota Dumai in Indonesia.

Previously, back in March 2022, the government of Melaka claimed that they would build a 47KM underwater tunnel connecting Melaka and Indonesia. We thought that was already kind of unworkable and now there appears to be an even better plan-Melaka to build a 120km bridge to Indonesia. The underwater tunnel will take 5 years but this new bridge will take a whopping 20 years!

Melaka To Build a 120KM Bridge To Indonesia

The state administration of Melaka has approved a proposal to develop a route between Malaysia and Indonesia, connecting the two nations directly via the state. Ab Rauf Yusoh, chairman of the Melaka Investment, Industry, Entrepreneur Development, and Cooperatives Committee, stated that it would include either a bridge or a tunnel, indicating that the idea is still in its earliest stages with the type of link not even confirmed.

Will the bridge be a boon for the people of Melaka?

The proposed project, which will be implemented by the private sector, will connect Telok Gong in Masjid Tanah to Kota Dumai in Sumatra, a distance of 120 kilometers. Ab Rauf stated that the building will take a staggering 20 years and will have a significant economic impact on both countries.

Direct Distance Between Masjid Tanah and Kota Dumai

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed in principle to explore the topic further, but nothing more is known about the development, including its cost. The chairman stated that the project will be constructed utilizing the "One Belt One Road" idea and that it will serve as a new symbol for the two countries.

Masjid Jamek Putra in Masjid Tanah Melaka

The route will also require the building of infrastructure, such as traffic dispersal spaces and an Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex. Melaka Corp would create a new industrial area and a new town in phases over an area of 2,023 hectares comprising Masjid Tanah.

Masjid Raya Al Mannan in Dumai Riau, Indonesia

Whether or if this project is the same as the undersea tunnel plan proposed by Melaka in March, which would also connect the state to Kota Dumai, is currently unknown. While the conclusion is the same, there are significant differences between the last announcement and this one.

Perhaps We Should Just Use a Ship or a Ferry?

As aforementioned, the underwater tunnel was intended for a rail system network, although the link project described in this study makes no mention of it. The 120KM journey distance is also alarmingly different from the previously estimated 47KM trip. Ab Rauf previously estimated that the project would be completed in four to five years, not two decades. I can't help but feel suspicious of this new 120KM bridge linking Melaka and Indonesia. Is this another project for corrupt politicians to siphon our taxpayers' money for a staggering 20 years?

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