Singapore has not received Malaysia's proposals for a third link via Pulau Ubin, said Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee yesterday.

He was speaking a day after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said there was "some" plan to build a third link to Singapore.

Malaysia's The Star newspaper also quoted Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian as saying the state government was in talks with a company about the third-link project, which could be built in the next three to four years.

Datuk Osman said the proposed bridge - which would start from Pengerang near Kota Tinggi, in Johor, and end at Pulau Ubin, in Singapore - could help ease traffic congestion on the two existing land links between the two countries.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Lee said he was at a meeting with volunteers from Friends of Ubin Network, when he was asked about news reports on the third link.

"I explained that we have not received Malaysia's proposals and do not have details of it. If we do receive it, the relevant agencies will certainly study it carefully," said Mr Lee, who is also Second Minister for National Development.

"Work on the Ubin Project, to keep Pulau Ubin rustic and to protect its heritage and biodiversity, continues," he added.