Numerous non corrupt individuals commented that the Melaka –Dumai Bridge across the Straits of Melaka is a waste of money, a futile endeavour, and this is true. I will elaborate from a geo-economical standpoint.
The proposed bridge would be built by Malaysia over 48.7km of water, connecting to a mostly agricultural island of Rupat on the Indonesian side. Since the island is mostly uninhabited, the Indonesian side would have to construct a 70km highway semi circling the island to connect the bridge’s landing point with Dumai town. This highway would even need to include a minimum 5 km span bridge to cross the straits separating Sumatra from Rupat Island.
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| Excerpt from the Star Online Newspaper October 16, 2013 |
The proposed bridge would be built by Malaysia over 48.7km of water, connecting to a mostly agricultural island of Rupat on the Indonesian side. Since the island is mostly uninhabited, the Indonesian side would have to construct a 70km highway semi circling the island to connect the bridge’s landing point with Dumai town. This highway would even need to include a minimum 5 km span bridge to cross the straits separating Sumatra from Rupat Island.
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| Excerpt from the Star Online Newspaper October 16, 2013 |
Have you noticed that when making a case for the
construction project, the greedy eyed politicians or developers tend to give
facts about Dumai alone, without mentioning the colossal fact that you are
linking the island of Sumatra, the sixth largest island in the world and
largest island in Indonesia, with mainland Asia via Malaysia. This fact is huge,
but why did they leave it out? From a glance, it can bring incalculable dollars’
worth of investments and development to the Island of Sumatra. Puzzling indeed.
To understand, one must first look at Sumatra. Sumatra is
home to roughly 50 million Indonesians and with land mass of over 1.5 times
that of Malaysia (East and West). Sumatra is no Java. Java is Indonesia’s
thriving nexus while Sumatra is an important peripheral island. Java’s
contribution to Indonesia’s GDP is roughly 2 ½ that of Sumatra’s, reflecting a
similar ratio between the two island’s population. Medan is in northern Sumatra
is the island’s largest city with roughly 4 million residents. Palembang in the
south is the second largest with 1.7 million. Sumatra is largely less developed
than Java. But both these islands, account for approximately 80 percent of
Indonesia's GDP.
Transportation in archipelagic Indonesia mostly revolves
around sea travel via ferries and air travel via low cost airlines. It is due to this
that road systems other than on the island of Java are mostly undeveloped. Take
the trans-Sumatran highway for instance, it runs from north to south of the
vast island but it single carriage way (one lane either direction) at parts, known
to be pothole ridden, landslide prone, bumpy and at parts extremely congested.
Compared to Malaysian highways, this main artery is no statelier than a federal
trunk road.
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| From Wikipedia Commons |
Driven out of necessity rather than grandiosity,
‘pemerintah’ or the Indonesian government has embarked on building the new
Trans Sumatran Highway with toll booths! It roughly follows the same alignment
as the old one, but this is planned to be a modern infrastructure like our
North-South Expressway in Peninsular Malaysia. Expected to be completed in
2020, this would be the turning point for Sumatra on the path towards
development. Most importantly, the new highway connects with Dumai directly. Perhaps
very forward planning by the Indonesian government?
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| Excerpt from wildsingaporenews.blogspot |
Nevertheless, Indonesian builders have a notorious
reputation of not completing many major infrastructure projects, especially due
to financing difficulties. But one such project mooted by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, now in the planning stage, is the
Sunda Straits Bridge. Annually, an average of about 20 million people cross the
Sunda Strait. This bridge would relieve ferry traffic from the island of
Sumatra to Java and effectively connect Jakarta to Bandar Lampung in South
Sumatra. Twenty nine kilometres in length this 6 lane dual carriageway bridge
accommodate both road and rail traffic. This bridge is key to the Trans
Sumatran Highway’s success as it funnels traffic and prosperity from Java to Indonesia’s
second most important island.
In my humble opinion, the bridge across the Straits of Melaka
should not be built unless the Sunda Straits Bridge and the Trans Sumatran Tolled
Highway are completed and a reasonable amount of prosperity is achieved by
Sumatra. Until then, if they proceeded with constructing, it will truly be the
proverbial bridge to nowhere.
But when all the stars line up, connecting the far flung island
of Java to mainland Asia would be poetic victory over the country's geographical fate to
say the least. Building it is not a matter of if but when. Just not now, not
yet.
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