Despite calls from many concerned Penangites for more sustainable transport in the state, the Penang state government is adamant about building more highways and a tunnel, arguing that it does not have control over public transport in the state.
“Moving to a higher quality Light Rail Transit or Monorail system is unlikely to be justified,” say traffic consultants hired by the state government to formulate a Penang traffic master plan. Continue reading »
When big ticket infrastructure projects such as highways, tunnels, bridges and airports are pushed through, the lack of proper business plans and robust cost-benefit analyses is often glaring. Continue reading »
Three different entities are said to be eyeing the north-south highway cash-cow.
I was paying only casual attention while Najib droned on over the radio when tabling his Budget in Parliament yesterday.
But my ears pricked up when he mentioned a “second wave of privatisation”.
The Bernama headline says it all: ‘Companies Under MOF Inc And Other Viable Agencies To Be Privatise’ (sic).
Why only the viable agencies? Is this going to be more of “privatisation of profits and socialisation of losses” – at the expense of the Malaysian public?
The first thing that crossed my mind was: which cash cow is going to be handed over to which crony now? Don’t tell me they are going ahead with plans to privatise cash cow Plus Expressways Bhd, which is owned by Khazanah (24 per cent directly and 40 per cent indirectly).