Now that oil prices have gone up by 41 per cent and diesel by even more, our planners should scrap the proposed second cross-channel road link for Penang.
If the RM4.8 billion second Penang bridge (all 24km of it, 17km over water) sounded like a bad idea before the oil price hike, today it sounds like a terrible idea in the light of higher fuel prices.
Let’s try this out for size to see how much it will cost the average commuter every month to use the bridge.
At least RM500/mth to use the second Penang bridge
Now that oil prices have gone up by 41 per cent and diesel by even more, our planners should scrap the proposed second cross-channel road link for Penang.
If the RM4.8 billion second Penang bridge (all 24km of it, 17km over water) sounded like a bad idea before the oil price hike, today it sounds like a terrible idea in the light of higher fuel prices.
Let’s try this out for size to see how much it will cost the average commuter every month to use the bridge.
Time to bring back the trams
Before the general election, they told us that we would become a net importer of oil by 2011.
Now, with the sharp oil price increase, they tell us we can remain a net exporter of oil until 2014-2015. You see, domestic demand will slow down. Some of us might turn to bicycles – and even live to tell the tale, given the notorious absence of bicycle lanes on our roads.
Excerpt from Reuters:
“It will be postponed if the demand does not grow at the rate that it should grow,” (Petronas) Chief Executive Mohd Hassan Merican was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
He added: “If the rate is reduced from six percent (demand growth annually) to four percent, it will be extended by three to four years to 2014 or 2015.”
Subsidy? What subsidy? Aiyah, I don’t understand-lah…
For the last few days, I have been trying to figure out what exactly this oil “subsidy” is that the government is talking about, which it cannot tahan any longer and so it has to collect more money from the people.
What exactly is this “subsidy”? Everyone is talking about it without really knowing what this subsidy is all about.
Who is paying this “subsidy” to whom? I mean, actual cash payment. Is Petronas actually paying cash to anyone for this “subsidy”? Is the government paying cash to Petronas?
It’s a jungle out there! Oil price hike madness…
I was stuck in a massive jam after I went to pick up a friend from the Penang airport. No matter how hard I tried to avoid the petrol stations, it seemed like the whole of Penang was out on the streets looking for oil, before the price hike at midnight.
While listening to the radio, I heard one caller phoning in to the deejay and saying something to the effect of, “Here I am stuck in a jam on the way to a petrol station to fill up. I wish I could stay at home like my friend Mr Abdullah and shake legs cos he doesn’t need to go out and fill up.” It took me a couple of moments to realise that he was speaking about the PM! Even the deejay responded, “I would rather be like your friend Mr Abdullah”!
This, then, is the shape of things to come. A 40 per cent hike in petrol prices plus a 20 per cent rise in electricity tariffs. Welcome to the free market and the “brave new Malaysia”.
What are they doing on the Penang Bridge centre-span?
High above the Penang Bridge
For the longest time now, there has been major ongoing work on the three-lane centre-span of the Penang Bridge. The work seems never-ending. Many motorists are puzzled about the long-term closure of the far left lanes on the centre span.
Petronas’ RM600 billion profit: Where has it all gone?
So the figure has been revealed. Petronas’ group profit before taxes, royalties, dividends and export duties amounted to RM570 billion for the period from its establishment in 1974 to 31 March 2007.
If you include the figure for the period until 31 March 2008, then you are probably looking at a figure closer to RM700 billion, with the higher oil prices.
Let’s see the breakdown of that RM570 billion:
Second Penang bridge cost soars to RM4.8 billion
Traffic jam on the Second Penang Bridge in 2020? Toll $$$ for UEM
In July 2007, the estimated cost of the second Penang bridge was RM2.7 billion.Urban planning gone crazy
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Blogger Power drives Penangites for Trams Campaign
The campaign to bring back the trams to Penang is picking up momentum as more bloggers join in the action.
So far 22 bloggers have joined in the campaign. That’s brilliant! Click here to see the full list. If you are a blogger and you want to join in the campaign, just add one of the campaign icons to your blog and leave a comment here, and you will be added to the list.
Nerisa and Jalil’s quest for justice
From Sabah comes an interesting case. A couple from Tawau, Nerisa A Kassim @ Nerisa Abdullah and her husband Joel Leona @ Jalil Abdullah, have filed a RM3 million suit against a female relative of Nerisa’s and a former private secretary of the Sultan of Pahang for alleged deception and misrepresentation. The female relative, who is trained as an accountant, is the daughter of Nerisa’s mother’s niece; both she and Nerisa had been brought up as sisters by Nerisa’s parents in Sabah.
They allege that Nerisa was duped by Nerisa’s relative and the former secretary into signing a blank form, purportedly to buy shares for Nerisa. The couple allege that the securities trading and bank accounts that were opened in Nerisa’s name were later used by the relative and the former secretary to move large sums of money – including a cheque for RM2 million – without her knowledge.
The couple are also suing the securities firm and the bank, where the accounts were opened. Nerisa claims she only came to know about the alleged deception when she applied for a bank loan with a different bank in Sabah only to be told she had been blacklisted for the earlier share-related transactions. A judgment in default amounting to RM294,934 in favour of the securities firm in Kuantan for those suspicious transactions had been sent to an incorrect address in Tawau, which meant Nerisa might even have been declared bankrupt without her knowledge had she not been alerted by the rejection of her bank loan application.
Here is a Daily Express press report giving more background to the case (click on image to see enlarged version):
And another report from The Borneo Post (click image to enlarge):
As oil prices soar, we build more infrastructure for cars… Hello!
Malaysians are bent on building more infrastructure for cars and other private vehicles at a time when many other countries are looking for alternatives to private vehicle ownership as oil prices soar.
Even in the United States, notorious for promoting private vehicle ownership, an increasing number of Americans are turning to public transport – and even bicycles. Nearer to home, New Delhi has bitten the bullet and opted for a Bus Rapid Transit, which it is now introducing with a lot of teething pains. Nobody said it would be easy, but it has got to be done if we care for our environment.
Think again. Do we really want to entrench the use of private vehicles with more highways and road bridges? Shouldn’t the new link for Penang be a rail link? The Penang state government should do the right thing, and not take the easy way out by opting for a KL-inspired solution, which is more focused on inflated construction costs and lucrative toll collections.
Trains, buses, guided buses, trams and bikes are the way of the future. Let us not go against the tide and burden future generations. Even that might not be accurate. At the rate we are going, as one blog reader cautioned me, there might not be any “future generations” left to inherit our polluted and poisoned world.
Trains, Buses and Bikes, Oh My!
Last week, Isaiah reported on the 7% increase in mass transit ridership, and also how limited that increase is. Because the Bush administration did nothing to make mass transit more convenient and accessible, many Americans who want to quit paying for high-priced oil don’t have that choice.
It’s not just mass transit. It’s bikes too.
Today, my local paper headlined “Bike Sales Rise With Gas Prices. In fact, local outlets across the country are reporting the same spike with bikes. And interest seems to be growing beyond the stereotypical hippie bike messenger. Read more
New feed details
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I am back! With hopefully more flexibility to improve the design of this blog.
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More updates soon.
Anil
The Ghost of Penang Future: State govt should establish “green” credentials fast
Cover-up job: The rape of hill-slopes continues (Photo credit: Rhino)
Last Friday, another mud slide struck Penang on the stretch of road between Tanjong Bunga and Batu Ferringhi. It was not surprising given the sort of hill-slope development taking place. This one occurred in the vicinity of the Ivory building project. You can see from this picture the sort of hill-slope development taking place in the northern part of the island. They must be crazy if they believe those plastic sheets will stop erosion. In the event, tractors had to be called in to clear the mud from the road. And traffic was backed up for quite a bit. Here’s what it looked like even after the mud had been cleared from the road.
Penang turning into one huge parking lot (Photo credit: Rhino)
Not much fun for all those motorists caught in the jam. Yesterday, it rained again, and one concerned resident in Tanjung Bunga told me the sea looked a mess of angry brown – probably from the silt. If you are flying above Penang Island, you can easily notice the water off the immediate coast of Penang looking a murky brown before it blends into the stunning deep blue and green hues of the Andaman Sea further north. It’s time for the Penang state government to assert strongly that it will defend the environment and ease traffic congestion with more sustainable solutions. It has to rein in developers and tell them in no uncertain terms that the rape of the island and its beaches and hillslopes is not on. But I fear that politicians, being politicians, will plan only for the next five years – instead of looking for more sustainable long-term solutions. Such short-term solutions are aimed at winning again in the next general election. This means atracting more investors (never mind what kind) and promoting “development” (with just lip service to protecting the environment) and quickly building bridges and highways and outer ring roads to ease traffic congestion on existing roads. This is what the state government is doing by supporting the second road bridge etc. But the problem is these short-term solutions might not be in the best interests of Penang and its people in the longer term, say beyond 10 years. I dread to think what the traffic on the island will be like with five lanes of incoming traffic pouring into the island – three lanes from the expanded Penang Bridge and another two from the proposed second bridge. As it is, Green Lane and Scotland Road are congested during peak hours. What happens when the second bridge too gets congested? We build a third bridge? And when that gets congested too, then what? Only then do we think of more sustainable solutions? How will the narrow streets of George Town ever cope until then? And considering that the oil price is now over US$130 plus per barrel and rising, how many ordinary people will be able to afford commuting on these bridges (let’s not even think of the tolls!) in say ten years? So why not think of the sustainable solutions now – instead of deferring that to the future, when it would be too late? Shouldn’t we be laying the groundwork now to move away from private vehicle ownership? We should be shunning – not embracing – infrastructure projects that will lead to more road congestion and entrench private vehicle ownership. Instead, we need to be looking at more sustainable and cost effective public transport solutions, perhaps a cross-channel rail link integrated into a comprehensive bus, guided-bus, and street-level rail system. It was only last week that Penang civil society groups called on the state government to come up with a transport masterplan for the whole state before plunging into irreversible mega projects that would have long term damaging repercussions for the state. So it is a huge disappointment to see the Penang state govt working closely with the BN federal government to permanently entrench private vehicle ownership through bridge infrastructure – even before we can work out a sustainable transport masterplan, as recommended by the leading civil society groups in the state. Can’t we, at least, wait a few months until a progressive transport masterplan is prepared? One Penangite, concerned about the environment and looking at the hasty arrangements being struck, said, “This is a black day for Penang. Is this government any different from the BN government in terms of the direction it is taking us?” You can see how much the road congestion – even now – has already drained the charm of the island and sapped it of its vitality. Actually, the new Penang state government has an enormous reservoir of political goodwill from the people following its overwhelming mandate in Penang – which it should not squander on the wrong solutions. If it was to lay its cards on the table and tell the people, this is the new direction we would like to take towards a more sustainable Penang that would be a model for other Asian cities – much like Curitiba is a model for South American cities – it would create such a buzz of excitement and enthusiam among Penangites who value their environment. Many would volunteer their services to sit down and conceptualise a green and sustainable Penang we could all be proud of. This requires a willingness to come together to plan, to engage with the most progressive urban planning and public transport experts (those without vested interests in transport infrastructure firms or projects) and to listen to public views. George Town now is still one of the most liveable cities in Asia. But, at this rate, for how much longer? Even if we are thinking only of attracting investors, the “liveability” of a city is a major “pull” factor. Would investors – would any Malaysian, for that matter – really want to live in a polluted, congested island that is no different from any other anonymous, overcrowded city. Penang today is at a crossroads. We can choose to go down a more sustainable path towards a green heritage city with parks, lakes, pedestrian malls, trees, shrubs, flowers, organic vegetable farms and street-level rail systems such as trams and guided buses. Or we can crawl down the congested highway of heavy, unsustainable infrastructure projects that will turn Penang into one huge parking lot shrouded by smog and silt. The choice looks easy to me. We will live with the consequences of our choices now for generations to come – generations who might one day curse us for the choices we make now. So choose wisely with future generations – not just the next general election – in mind. We need long-term strategies formulated in the best interests of the people of Penang – not politically expedient short-term solutions.Zaid Ibrahim to address media freedom activists
On Sunday, 1 June, journalists and concerned citizens are planning to taking a symbolic Walk at Dataran Merdeka to promote the cause of media freedom.
The organisers stress that it is not a public gathering but a walk.
They expect Zaid Ibrahim to deliver a keynote address. According to the organisers, Zaid has made two requests – that journalists turn up in large numbers and that this programme calls for ethics and accountability as much as it calls for freedom.
The event is being organised by Benar and the Centre for Independent Journalism. It should be interesting! For more info, click here.Penang Turf Club members sue committee over sale of land
Two Penang Turf Club members, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping and Dato’ Lee Ah Hoe, on behalf of the other members, are suing the Club’s 12-person committee for substantial damages over various issues pertaining to the sale of the Batu Gantong land.
The civil suit summons comes up to over 30 pages so I will spare you the detailed grievances.
Basically, they are arguing that the three agreements signed with Abad Naluri were not in the best interests of the Club and its members.
The three agreements are the:
- Preliminary Agreement dated 21 March 2003;
- Restructured Agreement dated 12 May 2004;
- Supplemental Agreement dated 1 April 2008.
Singapore gets the Island; Malaysia on the Rocks
Well, there you have it. The ICJ has declared that the jurisdiction of Pedra Branca falls to Singapore by a 12-4 majority.
The other territory – Middle Rocks – falls to Malaysia by a 15-1 majority.
A glum-looking RTM presentator says Malaysia has “kehilangan kedaulatan over Pulau Batu Puteh” – and then goes on to commend the Malaysian legal team for its efforts.
Making the best of the situation, Rais Yatim says it is a “win-win outcome”. He adds that the fate of South Ledge is still to be determined based on various technical aspects.
Perhaps now we can focus on eradicating injustices and poverty within Malaysia?
Penang Turf Club member to move for EGM to reclassify land back to “recreational” status
In a surprise development, a prominent Penang Turf Club member, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, said he will, together with a group of members, “requisite for for an EGM to be convened as soon as possible to pass a resolution mandating the Turf Club committee to take immediate steps to submit application to the authorities to reclassify the racecourse back to its original open space for sports and recreational land use”.
This is to ensure once and for all that the racecourse shall forever be preserved as a green lung for the Penang people, he said in a press statement today.
If his call is heeded, it could present a way out of the Penang state government’s current predicament. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had indicated that the state government was concerned that if it initiated a move to reclassify the land back to recreational status, it could expose the state to claims of compensation.
Tan said he had been personally against the decision to sell the Batu Gantong land and build a new racecourse in Batu Kawan. He said he voted against the move during an EGM in 2002.
He also disagreed with a recent proposal, mooted by some members, for the Turf Club to consider selling the land to members and subdividing it into bungalow lots for members to profit from.
“I strongly believe that the racecourse be preserved as open space or green lung,” he stressed, adding that there should not be any form of commercial development for monetary gain to any group.
If one traces the history of the racecourse, the 260 acres of land was acceded to PTC by the Straits Settlement Government for a “nominal sum” in 1935 for recreational use as a racecourse, he pointed out.
“Since it was intended for recreational purposes from the beginning, PTC should safeguard and honour the trust bestowed upon the club at all times.”
The club cannot simply sell the land for commercial activity or financial gain, he said.
He questioned how the club could allow the land to be turned over for a mega project for the benefit of “a small group of politically connected individuals to rake in billions of ringgit in profit without considering the massive social, cultural and physical impact affecting the lives of Penang people”.
He said it did not make commercial sense to throw away the existing buildings and facilities that cost nearly RM50 million to acquire over the years and to give up the club’s “first grade” land in the heart of the city in exchange for 300 acres of 60-year leasehold land in Batu Kawan.
“The Batu Gantong racecourse is a well-known landmark in Penang and it is a real shame to destroy the iconic heritage, particularly as the Government is trying to get the UN to designate George Town a heritage or historic city,” said Tan. He noted that other well-known racecourses in the world, including the HK Jockey Club, are located within city limits.
He said if the Turf Club wanted to raise funds to upgrade its facilities and racetrack, it could expand its membership from the current 580 to generate additional funds through new membership entrance fees.
Tan had stood for election to the Committee in 1992 but was not successful. He said he was no longer interested in running for the presidency or for a committee position.
Instead, he now prefers to focus on serving the Chinese business community through the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and “closer to my heart, community service through education in Han Chiang High School, Han Chiang College and Han Chiang Primary School in Penang”.
Tan is the current chairman of the Board of Governors of Penang Han Chiang Associated Chinese Schools Association, a non-profit organisation. The Han Chiang school authorities allowed the DAP to hold a mammoth 60,000-strong rally a couple of days before the 8 March general election – a move which helped catapult the party to power in Penang.
Critics of the PGCC deal have urged the state government to investigate the background to the shady deal, in particular to discover who was really responsible for pushing for the relocation of the racecourse to the mainland and and to find out how over 1,000 acres of Batu Kawan land was allotted to Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd.
Tan is now expected to file a court case tomorrow on issues related to the sale of the Turf Club land.
Mokhzani follows Dad out of Umno: Mahathir’s multi-prong strategy
So Harakahdaily reports that Mokhzani is following his Dad out of Umno. He reportedly made the announcement this morning.
The shrewd politician that he is, Mahathir probably has a few tricks up his sleeve. Scheming and scheming all the time…
I believe he is opting for a multi-prong strategy in his battle to unseat Abdullah and put in place a crony who would protect his interests before Anwar and his Pakatan boys can take over. The strategy would work at various levels.
From outside: By leaving Umno, Mahathir will be freer to step up his attacks against the current Umno leadership.
From below: Through his son Mukhriz, Mahathir now has a Trojan Horse inside Umno. Mukhriz has already shown that he will step up the pressure from below.
From the top: Razaleigh has already thrown down the gauntlet in his bid to challenge Abdullah for the Umno presidency. Will Mahathir now openly throw his backing behind his one-time archfoe in a bid to unseat Abdullah?
From the flanks: By leaving Umno, he is also providing another option for BN members thinking of defecting. They could now become Independent MPs in Parliament, who will be “kingmakers” in the sense that their numbers could be crucial in deciding who is going to form a new government. They would then be in a position to demand key positions in a new administration, whether it is BN or Pakatan.
Play up racial sentiments: Gone is all his rhetoric about Bangsa Malaysia. Now he is actively courting Malay support by manipulating base, primordial communal sentiments as he did in Johor a few days ago. He openly talked about Ketuanan Melayu and about the Malays losing their rights – pointing to Singapore and Hindraf as bogeymen!
It is no contradiction. Mahathir will do or say anything as long as it serves his own personal interests, as Wong Kok Keong writes in Aliran.
But Mahathir underestimates the Malays these days, many of whom can see through such language. The “market” for those willing to “buy” such rhetoric is rapidly shrinking, but that is not stopping him from whipping up sentiment among the hardcore remnants.
Watch this guy’s next move…
He is clearly petrified that Anwar will take over and open the books on the Mahathir years. The “Lingam Tape” Royal Commission of Inquiry recommendations jolted him and convinced him that he had to take decisive action now to ward off future threats to his “legacy”.
For example, look what happened to Malaysia Airlines in the 1990s. I was just talking to a former senior finance officer in Malaysia Airlines. He told me that in the mid-1990s, just a couple of years after Tajudin Ramli had taken over the helm from Dato Kamaruddin, who was seen as incorruptible, Malaysia Airlines had RM1.3 billion in cash reserves and they had no problem securing billions in loans, if necessary.
But within a few years, Malaysia Airlines was struggling even to pay staff salaries.
Where did all that money go?
If that wasn’t bad enough, the government bought back MAS shares from Tajudin at RM8 when the market value was around RM3.60. Where is Tajudin today? And where has Daim gone? How did Mahathir allow this to happen under his administration?
In Mahathir’s case, parting is such sweet sorrow… and rather protracted too! Here are the different stages of his farewell after 22 years in power:
2002 – Announces shock decision to quit
2003 – Steps down as PM
2007 – Fails to get elected as a delegate to Umno general assembly
2008 – Quits Umno. Now what?
This is a piece I wrote for Asia Times:
Fake farewell for Malaysia’s Mahathir
By Anil Netto
PENANG – Former premier Mahathir Mohamad’s decision to quit the ruling United Malays Nasional Organization (UMNO) on Monday represents his strongest political protest yet against his hand-picked successor Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi – and perhaps his biggest gamble.
His high-stakes decision came after a royal commission of inquiry last week recommended that the former prime minister and a number of his associates face probes under various laws for suspected involvement in the fixing of appointments, promotions and removal of judges, including the sacking of six top judges in 1988, which critics claim permanently undermined the judiciary’s independence.
Full article