MENTERI BESAR OF JOHOR OFFICIATES SUNGAI PULAI BRIDGE

JOHOR BAHRU, 19 January 2023 – Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi, Menteri Besar of Johor, officiated the opening of the Sungai Pulai Bridge and road connecting Gelang Patah with Tanjung Bin today with flagging-off public vehicles, making them the first users of the new infrastructure in Johor.

Also present during the ceremony were Yang Berhormat Dato’ Ir Haji Hasni bin Mohammad, Member of Parliament Simpang Renggam/ADUN Benut, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Dr. Wee Jeck Seng, Member of Parliament Tanjung Piai, Yang Berusaha Tuan Mohd Ezzudin bin Sanusi, Yang Dipertua Majlis Perbandaran Pontian, Yang Berusaha Tuan Ir Abu Bakar bin Abd Aziz, Director of Public Works Department of Johor, Yang Berusaha Tuan Haji Mohd Rafi bin Abdullah, Pontian District Officer, Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Che Khalib bin Mohamad Noh, Chairman of Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd/Group Managing Director of MMC Corporation Berhad, Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Dr Badrul Hisham bin Kassim, Chief Executive Officer of IRDA, respective Heads of Departments and Government Agencies as well as the project stakeholders.

The RM800 million bridge is a public-private partnership project which includes the construction of a bridge over Sungai Pulai and a road connecting Gelang Patah in Johor Bahru to Tanjung Bin in Pontian, which will benefit residents from both districts.

The completion of this 7.5-kilometre two-way two-lane bridge is equipped with a 25-metre high and 100-metre-wide navigation clearance for ship passage and provides direct access from Tanjung Pelepas, Gelang Patah to Tanjung Bin, Pontian. The new bridge will significantly reduce travel time to just 30 minutes from the current land route, which normally takes around an hour. This will improve the connectivity of the two districts, which will result in a strong economic multiplier effect for the surrounding areas, especially in Gelang Patah and Pontian.

In his speech, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz expressed delight at the completion of the Sungai Pulai Bridge. “The opening of the Sungai Pulai Bridge will position Pontian as a new socio-economic hub in Johor, which is a major destination for foreign investment. This will also bring various employment opportunities and economic activities, increase property values, promote the development of local areas and stimulate the ecotourism industry in Tanjung Piai and Kukup, especially from Singapore.”

“This economic growth goal needs to be accompanied by radical strategic planning and close cooperation between government agencies and the private sector in the implementation of a project. The construction of the Sungai Pulai Bridge is proof of the effectiveness of public-private cooperation in infrastructure development,” said Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz.

Tan Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, Chairman of Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd / Group Managing Director of MMC Corporation Berhad, said, “We are grateful for the completion of the Sungai Pulai Bridge for the benefit of the local people, especially in Pontian and Gelang Patah. The MMC Group is incredibly pleased to have the opportunity to be involved in this infrastructure project. This would not have been possible without the support of the State Government of Johor, Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS), Prime Minister’s Department, Federal Government, Department of Public Works, District Office, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Department of Environment, Department of Forestry, Department of Marine, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and other agencies.

Under MMC Group, Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd is the project proponent for the construction of Sungai Pulai bridge. MMC Engineering Sdn Bhd together with joint venture partner CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd is the main contractor for this Sungai Pulai bridge.