Bridging Malaysia and China
The recent announcement of the successful endorsement of the agreement between Malaysia and China which have nodded to the notion of funding the project of the second bridge to link Penang and the mainland is indeed something to rejoice.
The bridge; which will span for a distance of 23km; with 17km on the water will be the longest bridge in the Asia region and will mark another remarkable architecture to the current archive of the Malaysian pride.
Bidding for a RM2.7billion worth of loan, this bridge marks another history in the Chinese continent as sporting the largest amount of loan China has ever granted any other country. This agreement is definitely more than a paper deal as we also see the beginning of the friendship between Malaysia and the China; the second largest investor in the world.
Beginning is not the right word to be used here to define the relationship between Malaysia and China; as we go all the way back to history; during the Malacca Sultanate period. In fact, back then, there was a good relationship between both governments built upon the basis of respect and political ties. Political marriages were common then and also the presentation of gifts to the respective rulers of the kingdom. Sultan Mansur Shah bridged the ties between both kingdoms through his marriage with the royal princess Hang Li Po; a royal marriage which further strengthened the influence of both kingdoms and the advantage Malacca then had with the strong support from the strong force of China.
Therefore, the statement made by the 2nd Finance Minister of Malaysia was not unfounded when he was quoted as saying that we are literally building a bridge with China with the launch of this project.
It was definitely not an easy feat with to win favours from one of the strongest economic powers in the Asia region and also ranking in one of the top positions in the world. The bridge is the symbol of China’s efforts in building a relationship with Malaysia.
Stemming from the congested and limited bandwidth of the original and foremost bridge which was the main link between the island and the mainland, the second bridge now is expected to be the booster to the northern region in line with the Ninth Malaysia Plan (NMP). Economically, the bridge is also to elevate the growth and financial status in the government and to pave the way to development in the northern region which have been ‘orphaned’ and pale in comparison to the continuous development in the capital which has now reached the status of a metropolitan city.
The second bridge project is on hold due to financial constraints prior to the loan agreement and has been a question mark among fellow Malaysians whether the bridge will materialize. Today, securing the loan has finally cleared the dark clouds and the construction of the second bridge scheduled sometime end of this year and expected to complete by year 2011 has Malaysians residing or working in the northern region can now heave a sigh of relief and they can now look forward to an alternative route of travelling between the island to the mainland and also bidding farewell to the traffic with the 2-lane bridge which ferries the entire population of both mainland states and the island.
Besides the traffic, the second bridge will also be linking the strong influence of China and the growth of Malaysia’s economy with the support rendered and the continuity of the political friendship between both nations which will hopefully also create more future collaboration and supportive opportunities between the countries.
