The 350m bridge over the Kinabatangan River in Sabah was seen as threatening further fragmentation of a wildlife sanctuary that is home to endangered species including pygmy elephants.
The decision was announced at a dinner held this week in the UK by the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership. Conservationists including Sir David Attenborough had warned against the project and Attenborough had written to the chief minister of the state of Sabah outlining his concerns. British newspaper The Guardian published excerpts from the letter and the resulting publicity was credited with leading to the final decision to drop the scheme.
