Six months to a better idea on easing jams at Causeway

JOHOR BARU: The government will get a clearer picture within the next six months on ways to overcome congestion at the Causeway.

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said both countries had discussed the overcrowding at the Causeway in which an estimated 265,000 commuters cross the link on a daily basis.

“We have discussed the problems and it is expected that in the next six months, we will get a clearer picture.

“At the moment, we are looking at short-term solutions such as adding more counters but this is still limited due to lack of space at the CIQ (Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine),” he said after attending a seminar on global issues here yesterday.

Saifuddin also said that Malaysia was hopeful that Singapore would agree to move to the second phase of the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement negotiation, which involved price modality.

“For Malaysia, we are now entering the second phase of negotiation where we should be discussing price modality but to be fair to my colleagues from Singapore, I think they have not changed position,” he said.

If the talks or negotiation could not work, he said Malaysia and Singapore might have to resort to international arbitration, which would require the agreement of both sides.

Saifuddin said both attorneysgeneral from Malaysia and Singapore would discuss the matter.

It was reported that Malaysia and Singapore, which have differing views on the review of water rates, might resolve the longstanding dispute through arbitration.