Malaysia hopes that one day Singapore will agree to the construction of a new bridge to replace the 81-year-old Johor causeway, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

According to Bernama , he said the bridge would be beneficial to both nations.

He added that Singapore would then be more reasonable in their demands in negotiating for the construction of such a project.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Wednesday announced that Malaysia was scrapping plans to build the bridge and would cease all negotiations on the matter with Singapore.

Abdullah cited legal complications and strong public sentiments particularly concerning Singapore's demand to supply sand for the republic's reclamation programme and allowing its jet fighters to use Malaysia's air space for training.

Understandable decision

Meanwhile, Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he understood fully the decision by Malaysia to scrap the bridge plan.

"This development caught me by surprise, but reading the statement by Badawi, I can understand he must take into account the ground reaction in Malaysia," Goh said in a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report from Beijing.

"(This is) just as Singapore has to take into account the ground reaction in Singapore had we just simply gone for the bridge without the balance of benefits. So I can understand fully their decision," he added.

Goh, a former prime minister, is the chief negotiator for Singapore with respect to outstanding bilateral issues with Malaysia.

He also said that bilateral relations between both countries should not be affected by the issue.

"I don't think it should be. Just put aside the question of the bridge and work on other areas positively," he added.

New highway

Following the government's decision to scrap the bridge project, Works Minister S Samy Vellu said a new proposal would be put forward to construct a six lane elevated highway instead to link the RM1.2 billion Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.

There was concern that with the latest development, the CIQ complex would be rendered a white elephant.

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been cynical about the government's decision to shelve the project, was instrumental in pushing for the new bridge when he was still in office.

The new bridge was to enable water in the polluted Johor Strait to flow freely and ships to pass through it.

However, there was a lengthy impasse to the project when Singapore objected to tearing down the causeway in favour of the 1.4km full bridge.

Part of Singapore's fear was the economic implication on the city state as more ships could use Johor's port given that they could now pass through the strait.

Before retiring in 2003, Mahathir mooted a new plan - to build a 'crooked bridge' on Malaysia's half of the causeway which will then link up with Singapore's half.

The bridge was not straight because vehicles need a gentle gradient to climb up the bridge before going down to connect to Singapore's side of the causeway.