KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday he believed that the launching of the Second Penang Bridge - named Jambatan Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah - will act as a catalyst for more economic activities not only in Penang, but also in the northern region.
The Prime Minister said the launch of Second Penang Bridge was another testament of the Federal government's unwavering will to deliver on its promises.
"Above all else, we are committed to improving the livelihood of the people. It is my sincerest hope that people in the northern region will capitalise on the development opportunities generated by the Second Penang Bridge project.
"The bridge was built with you in mind. The bridge is there to serve you; make the most out of it," Najib said in his latest posting in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.
He said apart from its most obvious role of providing connectivity and accessibility to the Penang International Airport, he foresaw that the bridge would eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Najib said facilitating the movement of goods and people galvanised a nation's commerce and that was why he held dearly to the idea that an efficient transportation system was one of the most important components of economic growth.
"The government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures - LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsular and East Malaysia, etc, to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians," he said.
Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, Northerners could now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry, said Najib.
"I have been made to understand - and fully expect - that 65,000 job opportunities will be created by the development projects surrounding the Second Bridge.
"The government's central thrust has always been to deliver on our promise: that all Malaysians shall stand to benefit from any federal development project," he said.
"In many ways the Second Bridge is an important milestone for Malaysia. The idea was first mooted in 1995 by (Malaysia's fourth prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"This was followed through by (Malaysia's fifth prime Minister) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided that it should be located in the southern part of the island so as to stimulate economic growth in the northern states well as in the Northern Economic Corridor," he added.
He said the Second Bridge - connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland - will serve as the alternate crossing to Penang.
"It is estimated that number of vehicles using the first Penang Bridge (built in 1985) will increase by 68% (i.e. 67,000 vehicles) by 2020.
"Thus, the second crossing will greatly ease congestion of incoming and outgoing traffic to the island. I am convinced that this will, in turn, tremendously boost the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas," Najib said.
The Second Bridge, he said, was in itself a modern day engineering marvel.
He said it was the also the longest bridge in the world that incorporated the High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) as its seismic isolation system with the ability to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5, besides being the longest bridge in South East Asia, spanning 24 kilometres (16.9 kilometres over water).
"Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge.
"It carries a Gold rating of 80% on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza," he added.
The Prime Minister said the launch of Second Penang Bridge was another testament of the Federal government's unwavering will to deliver on its promises.
"Above all else, we are committed to improving the livelihood of the people. It is my sincerest hope that people in the northern region will capitalise on the development opportunities generated by the Second Penang Bridge project.
"The bridge was built with you in mind. The bridge is there to serve you; make the most out of it," Najib said in his latest posting in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.
He said apart from its most obvious role of providing connectivity and accessibility to the Penang International Airport, he foresaw that the bridge would eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Najib said facilitating the movement of goods and people galvanised a nation's commerce and that was why he held dearly to the idea that an efficient transportation system was one of the most important components of economic growth.
"The government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures - LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsular and East Malaysia, etc, to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians," he said.
Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, Northerners could now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry, said Najib.
"I have been made to understand - and fully expect - that 65,000 job opportunities will be created by the development projects surrounding the Second Bridge.
"The government's central thrust has always been to deliver on our promise: that all Malaysians shall stand to benefit from any federal development project," he said.
"In many ways the Second Bridge is an important milestone for Malaysia. The idea was first mooted in 1995 by (Malaysia's fourth prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"This was followed through by (Malaysia's fifth prime Minister) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided that it should be located in the southern part of the island so as to stimulate economic growth in the northern states well as in the Northern Economic Corridor," he added.
He said the Second Bridge - connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland - will serve as the alternate crossing to Penang.
"It is estimated that number of vehicles using the first Penang Bridge (built in 1985) will increase by 68% (i.e. 67,000 vehicles) by 2020.
"Thus, the second crossing will greatly ease congestion of incoming and outgoing traffic to the island. I am convinced that this will, in turn, tremendously boost the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas," Najib said.
The Second Bridge, he said, was in itself a modern day engineering marvel.
He said it was the also the longest bridge in the world that incorporated the High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) as its seismic isolation system with the ability to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5, besides being the longest bridge in South East Asia, spanning 24 kilometres (16.9 kilometres over water).
"Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge.
"It carries a Gold rating of 80% on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza," he added.
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