Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said the crooked bridge project was a proposal by Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian, which had yet to be presented at the federal level.

Azmin also noted the federal government's current fiscal challenges and stressed that the priority, for the time being, was on projects that could directly benefit the people such as schools and hospitals.

"It was proposed by the Johor menteri besar but certainly, we have mentioned on many occasions that our fiscal situation, at present, isn't good. So we need to prioritise infrastructure projects.

"But I'm sure the state government will raise this at the federal level. Once we receive the proposal, the ministry will look into this matter to see whether we have the capacity at this point of time to continue this project or if we can consider it at a point when the situation is much better for us," he told journalists at the Parliament building today.

When pressed on whether the crooked bridge would be a priority, Azmin said projects that will directly benefit the people would come first.

"Hospital, schools and roads - that should be given priority because that goes directly to the people and benefits the people," he said.

‘Best to ask Osman’

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng declined to weigh in on the issue, stating that questions were best directed at Osman (photo).

"It came from the Johor menteri besar so it's best to ask him. I was not informed of this matter," he told journalist at the Parliament lobby.

Yesterday, Osman had said that the crooked bridge, a pet project of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was back on the table.

"He (Mahathir) asked Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak to do it but they didn't. Now he has become prime minister (again).

"At an Iskandar Regional Development Authority meeting last month, he asked me whether Johor still needed the crooked bridge.

"I said, 'It's up to you, it's your idea. If you say you want to continue, I'll just follow.' It has a lot of benefits," Osman had said.

The crooked bridge project was originally proposed as a six-lane bridge to replace the Johor Causeway.

However, as Singapore did not agree to the project, it was modified to incorporate a sharp curve on the Malaysian side to allow vessels to pass underneath, thus earning it the "crooked" moniker.

The bridge would then join up with the undemolished portion of the Johor Causeway on the Singapore side.

It got the green light in 2003, during Mahathir's first run as prime minister, before being cancelled by the Abdullah administration.

Mahathir then reportedly lobbied Najib to build the bridge but was unsuccessful.

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