Are Penang transport masterplan’s projected ridership figures realistic?
The Penang transport masterplan, put out by SRS Consortium, has come up with projected ridership figures for the expensive elevated LRT from Komtar to Penang Airport. What is crucial is whether these ridership figures are realistic or inflated – for that will determine whether or to what extent the people of Penang will be saddled with operational losses.
Despite Azmin’s call, PKR reps slam Penang’s mega transport plans
PKR deputy president’s reported warning to PKR reps to toe the line appears to be going unheeded. This is as it should be. Elected reps have a DUTY to raise the people’s concerns especially in the state assembly – more so, given the over-the-top transport plans put out by the state.
Mumbai monorail first phase seen as ‘failure’ – so why monorail for Penang?
Why are the Penang government and SRS Consortium adamant about monorail when phase 1 of the Mumbai monorail has encountered all sorts of problems.
The Asian Age reports:
The Congress-NCP government had scrapped plans to have a monorail in the MMR [Mumbai Metropolitan Region], citing that the studies conducted in 2014 showed the corridor was not likely to be viable and would have low ridership. It had also taken into consideration the failure of the phase-1 monorail constructed between Wadala and Chembur. [emphasis mine]
Make public the consultants’ report on the Penang transport masterplan
The public is not being given the full picture at the various top-down ‘public consultations’ held. Among other things, they are not told that modern trams can carry as many people as monorails and elevated LRT at much lower cost. And have they been told why Halcrow’s recommendations for bus rapid transit and trams are not being followed?
London’s new Mayor Sadiq Khan takes the bus to work
A fine example to set on his first day in office. The son of a bus driver, Sadiq Khan is seen here using the bus and the underground to get to work, something other leaders should emulate to encourage others to do like likewise.
Kensington Gardens… in Penang? What next?
More clearing of our hill-side land for luxury property development – while we are experiencing a prolonged dry spell.
Namewee’s moving Mother’s Day tribute goes viral
The angry young man comes good and shows his softer side. Namewee, along with his mother, has outdone himself with this lovely Mother’s Day tribute. Over 800,000 people have already viewed it.
Live – Mahathir speaks in Penang
Mahathir: “When you believe you can become popular by giving the people money, then you will find that the people will demand even more money.”
“The pay of a prime minister is not enough to buy support… So what do you do? You [allegedly] steal!”
Pointed words indeed.
Live updates: Sarawak votes
So it is BN 72, DAP 7, PKR 3. So that is 10 seats for the opposition, which falls at the bottom end of analyst Faisal S Hazis’s forecast of 10-16 seats.
The result falls a bit flat. Both sides have little to be proud of. The BN because of their appalling and unethical electoral tactics, including the barring of opposition campaigners into the state; the opposition parties because of their hubris, their inability to cooperate and agree on straight fights, their lack of long-term ground work in many seats, and the little apparent difference in economic ideological thinking (ie corporate neoliberal ideology) between the BN and Pakatan parties.
The key figure to watch out for is 44 per cent. That’s the percentage of the popular vote which the opposition parties and independent candidate won in the 2011 state election (2011 state election – 29 per cent) when they bagged 16 out of 71 seats.
This time, there are 82 seats. Can they hit 44 per cent this time around with all the money being splashed around and opposition candidates being denied entry into Sarawak? Share with us your own updates in the comments below:
Take that, Trump! Human rights lawyer elected London’s first Muslim mayor
Sadiq Khan, 45, a former newspaper delivery boy whose father worked as a bus driver after moving to Britain from Pakistan and mother as a seamstress, grew up in a council estate and went on to become a human rights lawyer. Deal with that, Donald Trump.
Crony capitalism: Malaysia is no. 2 in the world!
Now ain’t that something! This will go nicely with our fifth place ranking in the list of countries with the most illicit financial flows (Malaysia chalked up total flows of US$419bn in the period 2004-2013!) and our fame from 1MDB, thank you very much.
Sarawak polls: Adenan is NOT the reformer he claims to be
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is the latest opposition campaigner to be blocked in what is turning out to be the most farcical election campaign the state has ever seen.
Thousands of delegates flood Penang for controversial firm’s conference
Thousands of delegates, most of them apparently from India, have converged in Penang for a large but low-profile direct selling convention at the Spice conference centre in Penang.
Taiwan’s sleek new street-level light rail system
Check out Taiwan’s first street-level light rail or modern tram sytem.
Penang transport masterplan: This neat video sums it up
This is a quick look at some of civil society’s main concerns about the masterplan put forward by the project delivery partner SRS Consortium. Please share.
Why the Penang Botanic Garden is stuck in a rut
Of late, there has been talk that the Penang Botanic Garden should follow in the footsteps of its Singapore counterpart and apply for Unesco world heritage status.
NGOs concerned about Penang transport masterplan
I think the problem is that the more expensive the masterplan that the consortium comes up with, the more PDP (project delivery fees) it will be able to charge at 6 per cent of project costs and the more land reclamation that will be required by the state for sale to developers.
Anyway, this statement has just been released by Penang-based NGOs. Check out their concerns below:
Old Penang: Prangin Canal (Sia Boey) as you have never seen it
This is what Prangin Canal or Sia Boey in George Town, Penang, looked like in 1830, when the canal was much wider, leading out to the coast, which at that time faced Beach Street (before early land reclamation extended the coastline further away to Weld Quay).
Another blow for Malaysia Airlines as CEO Christoph Mueller quits
The official reason given by sole shareholder Khazanah is that turnaround specialist Christoph Mueller quit “due to a change in his personal circumstances” after serving one year of his three-year contract.
A conversation with a waiter in George Town
Sitting in a kopitiam in George Town, I struck a conversation with a friendly waiter while tucking into some toast with half-boiled egg spread on top with some coffee on the side.