Dr M verbatim on the Johor-S'pore bridge issue

The Sun – 14/4/2006
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was asked for his response and comment on the federal government's decision to scrap the bridge project. This was what he had to say to reporters after delivering his address on "Leadership Crisis and Strategic Communication Techniques" at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia on April 13, 2006:
"We do consult all pihak when we do something in our own country. If we don't consult outsiders, kita mungkin buat benda yang salah dan kita akan terima padahnya. Consultation dengan jiran amat baik. If jiran tak setuju, we have to ambil kira pendirian jiran, even apan yang kita lakukan adalah dalam negara kita sendiri.
"Dulu dia (S'pore) tidak ada position pun, we were about to start but I retired. If i didn't leave, it (construction of the bridge) would have started 2 1/2 years ago."
Waste money? Tak apalah ... saya waste money lebih banyak, mega projects.
"No legal implications, we were already there. If we have started, there will be no problem. If we wait, dia (S'pore) korek-korek sana, jumpalah geliga ..." Opposition from Johoreans?
"They didn't oppose as far as I can see. Even now they are opposed to having the bridge ... tapi nak buat bridge di tempat kita, nak kita bagi besar S'pore, apa kaitanya?
Macam duit kita dalam CPF, duit kita punya ... tapi kita tak mintalah, kita baik.
CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex) itu, saya dengar kata S'pore cadang jadikan shopping complex yang terbesar di SEA (Southeast Asia). S'pore cadang, takka illogical puula? Bukan meyindir. Ini ikhlas. Jadikan shopping complex, cantik dan canggih.
"Kita nak kena jaga hati orang. We have to look after the people's heart.
"Johor, according to S'pore, is full of crimes. If no bridge, no causeway, S'poreans won't go to Johor. So there won't be crime. Seperti biasa, kita dok diam. You tak boleh publish ini semua in the newspapers. It's all censored. Ia ni there is ... in charge of newspapers. So you have to be very careful. Saya tak terkejut ... many times government reserves decision when people tak seteju ... toll hikes ... kerajaan prihhatin. Orang diluar negeri pun, jiran kita yang baik, yang dekat. We must be very nice to them.
"We have been taking into account S'pore's views ... dia tak nak bridge, dia nak causeway kerana in nostalgia Goh Chok Tong, kita terima jugalah."
Source: The Sun | www.sun2surf.com