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ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is looking to build an air-conditioned walkway that will run about 350 m along its side of the Malaysia-Singapore Causeway.
The Johor state government has requested RM30 million (S $ 9.88 million) in funds from the Malaysian federal government for the walkway, the chairman of Johor’s public works, infrastructure and transportation committee said on Sunday (September 13). , Mohd Solihan Badri.
The allocation request earlier this year doubled from an initial RM15 million after a redesign to include escalators and air conditioning, it added on the sidelines of the Johor state assembly proceedings at the Sultan Ismail building.
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Under the proposal, the walkway will run 350 m and end at the Singapore border, Mohd Solihan said.
“For Singapore, I’m not sure how long the distance will be,” he added.
It is estimated that hundreds of pedestrians crossed the Causeway daily on foot before Malaysia enforced the Movement Control Order in March to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Although the authorities have not taken any action so far, pedestrians are prohibited on the Causeway, according to Mohd Solihan.
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Mohd Solihan also said that Singapore has shown interest in extending the proposed covered walkway on its side of the Causeway.
He said several officials from the Singapore Consulate General in Johor Bahru expressed interest in the project at a recent meeting.
“They asked for the design of the walkway so that they could present a proposal to their government to extend the walkway,” added Mohd Solihan.
