As Aliran celebrated its 48th anniversary at Penang’s Majestic Theatre last Saturday, the contrast with our previous gathering seven years earlier could not have been starker.
Gone was the heady optimism that hung in the air, four months after the stunning electoral upset in the 2018 election.
Read this excerpt from a Singapore Straits Times report:
To quickly disperse traffic in the Bukit Chagar area when the RTS Link is up and running, a driverless tram-bus network called the autonomous rapid transit (ART), which runs on tracks across bridges and viaducts, is expected to serve passengers, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Feb 13.
The elevated ART system is favoured by Malaysia’s federal government to connect passengers to other parts of southern Johor state, Mr Loke told reporters, compared with a light rail transit (LRT) system that would be more costly to build and take a longer time to complete.
“An LRT system can only accommodate a single rail system, whereas the ART can have the flexibility of both a bus and rail (tram) system,” he said.
“The implementation of the (ART) system is also more economical and it can be built faster,” he added at the signing ceremony for the project, which is jointly developed by Malaysia’s Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) and local conglomerate Sunway Group.
A Johor state official said recently that such LRT and ART networks could cost around RM20 billion and RM7 billion, respectively.
The federal and state governments must explain why they are opting for an expensive RM17bn LRT system in Penang when they are choosing a more economical option for Johor.
Remember, the Penang state government’s annual budget is around RM1.0bn while the Penang Island City Council’s annual budget is around RM0.6bn.
How will the federal government, which is already saddled with RM1.5tn in debt, finance the LRT? And who will pay for any annual operational losses if the LRT ridership falls short of projections?
In recent days, we have been given some inkling of the total cost of Penang transport infrastructure over the next decade.
The Edge has provided some indicative figures for the elevated light rail transit’s cross-channel stretch and the systems work for the entire stretch.
More details have emerged about the Penang light rail transit known as the Mutiara Line.
The LRT was first proposed in the “SRS PTMP”, the transport plan that was put forward by the Gamuda-led SRS Consortium.
A message from La Salle Br Anthony Rogers:
Before you forget 2024, recall just three of your most beautiful and joyful memories and try in 2025 to make it SIX.
A happier you is a better Malaysia and more loving world. Your self-care, a kind word, an act of caring and openness to others outside our walls are the bridges to change strangers into God’s friends.
As Malaysia assumes the chair of Asean on 1 January, the nation faces critical choices at home and abroad.
Global tensions, regional turmoil and domestic challenges demand serious attention.
Global challenges
China and Russia’s rivalry with the US has intensified, with Brics being set up to rival Western hegemony.
This message by Fr Fabian Dicom:
Tonight, we come together from many different places, each with our own story – some filled with joy and tradition, others seeking something deeper, and some perhaps simply searching for peace in a world that often feels uncertain.
Whether you are a visitor, here for the first time, returning for your annual mass, or not of the Catholic faith, know that you are warmly embraced and deeply welcomed.
Our guest writer today is La Salle Br Anthony Rogers, who wrote the following reflection for Christmas:
We cannot sing Joy to the World without tears in our eyes.
The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Life, was born in the Holy Land, but today, it is the graveyard of Death and horror of Sorrows.
When I was mulling over what to write this time, La Salle Bro Anthony Rogers texted to suggest I write about “Genocide at Christmas: Walking with the Palestinian Jesus into the 21st Century in the context of Jesus’ prayer for ‘Your Kingdom Come'”.
Really, how do we celebrate the birth of Jesus with joy and good tidings when a genocide is taking place in the Holy Land? Many of the Christmas celebrations in church and outside are taking place without even a mention of the massacres not far from Bethlehem.
This book by Jesuit priest Paul Dass has recently been published: Integral Human Development: History and Memory – A Local Church Chronicle
Read the foreword by Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Julian Leow:
Remembering our past makes our present strong. A strong present helps us build a strong future.
This book by Fr Paul Dass, SJ about the history of the practice of integral human development in the life of the local Church helps us to remember our past so as to build our future.