Laughter and applause as Mahathir takes digs at S'pore
I talked with Lee Kuan Yew, as the Kedahans say, in prevet (private). We spoke between ourselves on a four-eye basis...I showed the design of the bridge that is very beautiful. I spoke to Lee Kuan Yew only.
Today, I will tell you the story. Normally, I won't tell. No one knows of this until today. But I am forced to tell because all my letters have been exposed. So I have to tell the truth (applause) so that people won't say: look at Malaysia, they want to build a one-sided bridge without cooperation from Singapore.
No, I have given the map, I have given the plans, I have given the design of the bridge to Datuk Lee Kuan Yew when he came to see me. And he was very impressed. He said (in English): this is very good, man. (Laughter)
I felt happy that we were going to get cooperation from Singapore. He brought the plans back, and long after that I received a letter from him and he also saw me.
In his meeting with me, he said that even though he liked the bridge to replace the Causeway, unfortunately Goh Chok Tong doesn't like it.
He said Goh Chok Tong was nostalgic about the Causeway. So he said we can build the bridge after Goh Chok Tong retires. (Laughter)
I tell you sincerely, in the name of Allah, this is what he told me, I do not lie. He said we build the bridge after Goh Chok Tong retires and there won't be a nostalgic protest. This is what he told me.
I feel very sad because the total number of vehicles that cross the Causeway has risen dramatically. We cannot wait until Goh Chok Tong retires.
We have to build. So if they do not want it on their side, we will build it on our side. (Applause)
We have no bad intentions. If they don't want it on their side, it's okay, we will build it on our side. It is our land.
Don't say: look at Malaysians, they want to build a bridge without cooperation with us. We make a proposal, they reject it because of nostalgia.
Because he (PM Goh) has lived very long with the Causeway, without the Causeway, there is no meaning in life. (Laughter) So we do not want to raise any ill feelings with our friends in Singapore.
But we are forced to raise the bridge and allow the water to flow again. The design of the bridge will be quite odd because it has to make a slight curve to make it longer. But what to do? For the sake of Johoreans, we will spend.
The Singaporeans are not strangers: they are our brothers and sisters, our kin. (Applause) We love them, we want them to visit Johor and Malaysia, with easier access.
In Singapore, there are roads but when shifting into fourth gear, you fall into the sea because it (the country) is not big. (Laughter)
The problem of Singapore is like Perlis. In Perlis when you shift into fourth gear, you are already in Thailand. Change direction, and in fourth gear you are in Kedah. (Laughter)
So it is like Singapore. It is only 18 miles from Keppel harbour to the Causeway. Not even time to change into fourth gear. You buy a Ferrari you can't change into fourth gear, there is no use. So we want to give them the opportunity to change into fourth gear on our roads.
That is why we need roads. We want them to come, we thank them: because they are rich, we are poor, so when they come here, they spend money, we can tumpang (piggy-back) a bit. Never mind, we are not angry at Singaporeans. Welcome, Singaporeans.
(In English) We love you. On Valentine's Day, we love you. (Claps and laughter) Please come. Please come.
(In Malay) Last year, 10-11 million Singaporeans crossed the Causeway. Seven million came to Malaysia and spent at least a night here. The other four million made day trips.
They eat mee johor, they eat kway teow, we are not angry. Come and eat a lot. Go back there, keep it (do business) there (laughter), because there is a need there. No need to keep it here.
Eat here and drink here. For the rest of the business, do it there. How nice Malaysians are. Who said we are not nice?
Actually, we know that Singaporeans live in a small country. Every week, tak tahan (can't bear) to live in the small country, an independent country, but small, so they need to breathe and we have a big area in Johor and Malaysia for them to breathe.
Come over, we welcome them and love them. Singapore is very clean, with beautiful buildings, everything is nice. But four million people live on the island, it is not nice. Langkawi is the same size as Singapore, but Langkawi has 70,000, Singapore has four million. So we like them to come.
Oh people of Singapore, we are your brethren, we are your friends, we do not want to have war with you, we cannot afford to fight with you.
Except if you go to war with us. If you step without our permission on Johor soil, we are forced to slap them. (Applause) Not aggressive or belligerent.
PAP shouldn't talk about war, we do not want to go to war with them.
I am just jesting. When you meet Singaporeans, tell them: Don't take the Malaysian PM seriously. He likes to talk like that. He doesn't mean it, he has a good heart. (Applause)
