KTMB (Part 2)- Questions for KTM and Government

(Train station at Sungkai, Perak)







(Train station at Tapah Road, Perak. Photo taken in August 2008)




It has been more than 15 years since I last took a ride with KTM from Tapah Road to Kuala Lumpur. There seems to be more activities back in the 80s and early 90s at Tapah Road’s station when the Kopitiam was still in operation. There were also locals selling homemade packed nasi lemak within the train station.

Thousands if not millions have been spent to modernize and to renovate the KTM Tapah Road station over the past few years. In fact, the entire station is being torn down with the main building being shifted by approx. 50 meters.

Behind this massive structural facelift, behind these modernization efforts, has KTM actually improve or rot to the core?

In addition to my earlier remark on accountability in KTM, here are additional questions for the KTM and the government:

1. How much was spent for the new station in Sungkai and Tapah Road?
2. How many people benefit or will benefit out of this massive facelift?
3. What is the utility rate of these stations? How many passenger trains stop-by these stations per day?
4. How much to upkeep these stations?
5. Was the project to build new stations done on competitive open tender basis?
6. Should it be smaller and cheaper?
7. Why spend billion without plans to buy carrier? Why having these stations for years before getting more carriers?

8. Why was the double track from Ipoh to Padang Besar, a RM 12.5 billion (USD 3.8 billion) project given to Gamuda without competitive tender?
9. How about spliting the project to two contractors i.e., Ipoh to Penang one contrator while Penang to Padang Besar to another company?
10. How many people will benefit from Ipoh-Padang Besar project? Do we need it?
11. How about Ipoh to Penang first?

12. Should we spend RM 12.5 billion or less to improve existing system and services, such as to buy more new carrier instead of the Ipoh-Padang Besar project?
13. When will KTM turn around and what are the programs in place?
14. What are KTM medium to long term plans to bring it out of losses?
15. What are the marketing programs or strategy?

Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM)-Part 1. Bad Rail or Bad Management?

“Rail Bad!” was today’s headline in the New Straits Times (NST) after the Prime Minister (PM)’s little experience with the commuter service.

He arrived at the Serdang Komuter KTM s at 8:15 a.m. but unable to get on board the first train because it was packed. The next train was 15 minutes later. He was right to express dissatisfaction over KTM performance which was obviously not up to expectation. The PM went on and pledged “I will strive for improvements. I will propose changes”. I am very certain he will be furious had he tried the Komuter service during rainy season where train service can be delayed up to an hour during peak hour.

There are indeed many changes and room for improvements in the KTM. The first change the PM should adopt is to replace Lim Ah Lek, as the chairman of KTM with someone who has no rail-road experience. He may be a successful politician, who was also a former cabinet minister, but he has proven ineffective based on KTM performances and results during his leadership. Lim Ah Lek must be answerable for the poor performances and losses of KTM.

The PM should not forget that KTM has at least 2 major safety incidents during the past four months with at least two fatalities. Why was the safety inspector not suspended? Why was no-one accountable for it? This portrays serious lack of accountability in KTM top-down, from the chairman of the board down to the operators.

As for KTM Komuter, they should provide train service at least every 10 minutes instead of 15 minutes during peak hours and should strive for every 5 minutes by 2010. If our country is fond of comparing fuel prices with countries such as Singapore, Japan, Korea and etc., we should be bold enough to measure up the train services of those countries. In Singapore, train runs at least 4 minutes during peak hours while in Moscow, Russia, train arrives every minute and sometimes every 50 seconds during peak period.

Will the PM going to walk the talk this time or just another lip service?

Propose Tapah Town Council Meeting To Be Open To Public

During the first full board town council meeting on the 28th of July, councilors were asked to decide or vote on whether the town council meetings should be open to public. However, I have requested to postpone this agenda until the next council meeting since there was no prior notice before the said meeting.

Our country's constitution under local government act of 1976 (Act 171) & subsidiary legislation part iv, 23 provide that "all meetings of local authority shall be open to the public and to the representatives of the Press unless the local authority by resolution at the meeting otherwise decides"

Unlike the previous government who lacks transparency and accountability, the present councilors encourage greater transparency and greater local participation on local matters. Moreover, public is allowed to Parliament and State Assembly proceedings on invitation.

Therefore, I will propose in the next town council meeting that Tapah town council meeting to be open to public. However, we will have to limit the number of observers due to the capacity of the meeting room. I will suggest 50% of the total observer seats to be allocated to political parties and the rest to public on first come first basis or by invitation.

24 Pakatan Rakyat Councilors Sworn in at Tapah Town Council 28th July 2008

24 Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Tapah town councilors took oath at Majlis Daerah Tapah today, 28th of July 2008. The 24 councilors who will serve up to 31st December 2008 are:

1. Mohd. Yunus, Ayer Kuning. H/p: 016-454 4680


2. Lau Foon, Bidor. H/p: 012-510 0592


3. John Woodworth, Bidor. H/p: 019-564 9991


4. Thana, Bidor. H/p: 016-518 2231


5. Liew You Wuu,Bidor. H/p: 014-604 3401


6. Ramani, Bidor. H/p: 012-278 2062


7. Ng How Chong, Kuala Bikam. H/p: 019-513 6907


8. Tan Seng Tin, Sungkai. H/p: 012-505 2048


9. Rostam, Sungkai. H/p: 016-5454 268


10. Mooken, Sungkai. H/p: 016-319 8684


11. Mary Thomas, Tapah. H/p: 016-5326538


12. Apalasamy, Tapah. H/p: 017-507 2195


13. Ramu/ Krishnan, Tapah. H/p: 016-596 4248


14. Loh Peng Lam, Tapah. H/p: 012-377 8838


15. Ahmad Razi, Tapah (Jln. Bidor). H/p: 019-508 4755


16. Ridzuan, Tapah (Jln. Pahang). H/p: 012-512 4881


17. Manikam, Tapah (Jln. Pahang). H/p: 012-528 1887


18. Lt. Nathan, Tapah (Tmn Bunga Raya). H/p: 012-362 3490


19. Chow Chai Woh, Tapah (Tmn Kenari). H/p: 017-5516780


20. Pajand Singh, Tapah (Tmn Saga). H/p: 012-661 7108


21. Kalthum, Temoh. H/p: 016-530 5399


22. Mohd Yusof, Temoh. H/p: 013-529 9164


23. Ikram (Tmn Dato Kamaruddin). H/p: 012-573 1073


24. Yang DiPertua (TDP) Dato' Md. Damiri.
    

These are the first batch of PR's councilors for Tapah.

During the first full board meeting, the council has approved the financial statement for fiscal year 2007 and endorsed allowance increment for town councilors in accordance to the matrix system set by the state government.

Dinner with Lim Kit Siang at Tapah, Sunday 10th of August 2008

DAP Tapah branch dinner at Dewan Orang Ramai Bukit Pagar, Tapah on the 10th of August, 7:30 pm.

Special Guests:
Lim Kit Siang, Kulasegaran, Sivanesan, Ngeh Koo Ham, Nga Kor Ming, Sivanesan, Chen Fook Chye

Responsiblities of District Town Councilors in Malaysia

My former schoolmate from ACS, Ipoh, who is now residing in Singapore dropped me a note last week. In her email, she asked about the role of town councilors in Malaysia.

Malaysian administrations consist of the federal government, the state government and the local government. The district town councilors are part of the local government.

Most local government comes under the jurisdiction of the state government and is the lowest level of government under the Malaysian government system. KL/W.P., Labuan and Putrajaya is managed by the federal government.

The responsibilities of the local government include:

1. General policies that involve planning, upgrading and usage of land and buildings.
2. Town planning
3. Effective and systematic governing of a specific area
4. Infrastructure upgrades and development.
5. Provide recreational and services to the locals.

The local government also performs:

1. By-laws or subsidiary law—"undang-undang kecil". The by-laws are only applicable for the specific district or city. Examples of such laws include advertisement, business, industry and profession, car park, etc.
2. Collect land tax and property assessment tax.
3. Various licensing such as business license, grave yard license, hawker license, entertainment license, animal license, pasar malam, various rentals, etc.
4. Rubbish and drainage.
5. Collective local government funds "Kumpulan Wang Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan".
6. Government contract, prosecution and own properties.
7. Name for streets.
8. Traffic lights & bus stop

Fire Victim at Jalan Pahang, Tapah

(At Jalan Pahang, Tapah)









(Photo from today's Sin Chew Jit Poh)



Visited fire victims on Friday, 25th July 2008 at Jalan Pahang along with Perak State Exco and Keranji Assemblyman, Chen Fook Chye. The Perak state government and the DAP will assist the fire victim.