Thursday, March 21, 2013

Opposition to Penang's traffic plans

  http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/224533

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Lately CM Lin Guan Eng has met with strong opposition from groups to the Penang state government's traffic decongestion projects of three highways and one under-seabed tunnel. The CM took great pains to reply in detail to CAP and others against his plans which is indeed a honorable act and we commend him for that. We also commend him for having numerous public forums on the issue  which shows he values and cares for public opinion which is badly lacking in our political system today.
I agree we need a well-planned and comprehensive public transport system for Penang to decongest the traffic situation especially on the island. The plan by the state government is a massive one involving 3 highways and a under-sea tunnel   costs  could go into much more later in the course of the construction. Land in Penang is very limited and precious and we must leave enough of it for the future generations. Today much of the land has been taken up by unnecessary and redundant structures built earlier that have now become neglected and an eye-sore.  
CAP and others who are against the mega projects for now are also equally interested in the well being of the state and its future. Yes, facts are sacred and must be preserved at all costs but opinion including dissenting ones although may be free but are most precious as they come from only those who are concerned and committed to improve what we already have.
While we all agree that we need a proper and well-thought of traffic plan but we are extremely anxious over the use of precious state land that are to valuable to be wasted on projects that will later become redundant in the near future.
The big question here is whether we are ready yet for such a mega projects all in one go? Don’t we have more pressing issues to attend to now? Shouldn't we be preoccupied with setting up of better system of governance, to improve the system that has become too rotten and put into effect practices that will change the mindset of Malaysians to think as Malaysians first?

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