Whatever happened to 1MDB’s Cayman Islands funds?
In early May, the Financial Times of London carried an in-depth feature on the City of London as a global money laundering hub, which included an expose of the Swiss private bank BSI in the UK.
Moscow mulls closure of troubled monorail
There aren’t that many monorail systems in Europe. One of the few is in Moscow – and it is bleeding red ink, burdening taxpayers.
This is Vukan R Vuchic, a public transport expert, professor of the University of Pennsylvania, and former consultant for the US Department of Transportation on planning, design and operations of transport systems. Notice that he says the best tried and tested modes are buses, trams and metros.
China embraces modern trams/light rail – much cheaper than elevated LRT/monorail
China is embracing light rail in a big way. Check out this report here.
Step forward light rail systems, the construction costs of which are 20-30% of a metro, with a similar wave of construction and development now underway across China.
At the end of 2014, eight Chinese cities operated light rail networks, with a cumulative distance of 192.6km, and several cities are on course to open their first lines in 2015. Plans are now in place to develop more than 2000km of lines by 2020 and up to 4000km of lines by 2050. But with 319km of light rail infrastructure currently under construction, and 1835km already in the design phase, this number is likely to be out of date very soon.
It is important to realise that modern trams may be built at street level, but they can also have dedicated lanes and be elevated over difficult or congested stretches. This is what the original transport masterplan consultants Halcrow (to whom the Penang state government paid over RM3m) recommended for the 17.4km route from the Penang airport to Weld Quay route – dedicated lane at street-level, elevated along certain stretches and then shared roads when entering George Town. The cost RM40-80m/km – or just over RM1bn.Third bridge, tunnel talk – but no hurry to hand/take over Penang ferries
A lot of talk in the media about the RM3.7bn tunnel or a RM1.8bn third Penang bridge. But not much talk about handing over the Penang ferries to the state government.
Don’t be fooled by unanimous land reclamation motion in Penang
Nothing has changed with the passing of the unanimous motion on land reclamation by the Penang state assembly on 20 May 2016.
Hawaii’s elevated rail hit by huge cost overruns, delays – and Penang wants elevated LRT?
From an initial estimate of US$4.6bn to the current estimate of US$6.7bn (RM27.3bn) and counting – a huge cost overrun for Hawaii’s 20-mile (32.2km) elevated rail system.
The RM27.3bn price tag works out to a staggering RM847m/km and, when completed, it could be the most expensive transit system on a per capita basis in US history. And the Penang government wants an elevated LRT system.
Road to folly: Will building more roads solve traffic congestion?
MBPP councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui has written the following comment piece:
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.