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THE NST, April 1, 2006

PM: Every Malaysian has a role to play
Brendan Pereira

KUALA LUMPUR: It is more than a slew of targets. It is more than spending RM200 billion over the next five years to build another bridge and a monorail system for Penang, and railways, highways and schools throughout the country.

It is certainly more than the ambitious plans he carved out for biotechnology, agriculture, tourism and increasing the number of engineers, researchers and scientists.

When Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lifted the veil on the Ninth Malaysia Plan yesterday, he was flagging off what may turn out to be the toughest race Malaysians will ever run — the last 15 years before the cherished goal of becoming a developed nation is reached.

Some may call the 9MP the final push. Some may call it the home stretch.

Abdullah calls it the "National Mission" because he knows that its success depends on every Malaysian embracing it as his or her own plan for a better tomorrow.

The Prime Minister’s two-hour speech in Parliament was a road map of where the country should be heading and it was sprinkled liberally with optimism, lofty ideals and a constant reminder that no one will be left behind in the final push to the peak.

But there was an unmistakable sense of urgency in his message.

"We need to act quickly. Only 15 years stands between us and Vision 2020. We must make these 15 years the best years in our effort to stand tall and proud in 2020," the Prime Minister urged.

Abdullah said the NMP was not just a five-year economic programme but was a mission in which every Malaysian had a role to play.

The development blueprint for 2006-2010 shifts the focus of state spending away from huge construction projects and towards building a more resilient economy.

The key thrusts of the plan are boosting the economy, stamping out poverty and improving the quality of life and governance.

It outlines plans for more balanced development in under-developed regions in the north, east and southern parts of the peninsula and in Sabah and Sarawak.

The idea is to make sure that when Malaysia becomes a developed country in 2020, the income gap between rural and urban areas would have been narrowed.

It spells out the urgency to build Malaysia’s human capital bank to meet challenges and intense competitiveness from emerging economies and awakening giants like China and India.

Billions of ringgit will be spent to improve the country’s education system and more money than ever will be poured into programmes to produce more engineers and scientists here.

Said Abdullah: "If we want to become a knowledge-based economy, if we want to become a developed country, human capital development must be stressed."

He made clear that more must be done to address the economic imbalance among the different races but it would not be by taking from any ethnic group. It will be by expanding the economic pie through sustainable growth.

Abdullah said several times in his speech that reducing the income disparity between the races would remove a major impediment in race relations.

The Government, he said, would embrace a more holistic approach to redress the economic imbalance among the races.

It will do so by eradicating poverty and spending more money to develop rural areas.

"Fair" and "just" were two words that he used repeatedly in his speech. It said a lot about the Prime Minister and how he governs the country.

It said a lot about how he believes revenue should be spent. Not only in urban areas but also in less glamorous parts of the country. Not only on big flashy projects but on preparing Malaysians to face a more competitive environment.

At the tail-end of his speech, as he asked the Almighty to bless his people and his country, he choked and his voice broke. He struggled to compose himself several times before eventually ending the two-hour-long address.

The response from the House was spontaneous. Ministers, backbenchers and Opposition members rose to give him an ovation.

THE STAR Friday March 31, 2006

Second bridge and monorail for Penang?
Comment: By WONG CHUN WAI

PENANGITES have plenty of reasons to look forward to the speech by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Dewan Rakyat today. They expect the Prime Minister to give them a present in the Ninth Malaysia Plan he is tabling in Parliament.

The speculation is that Penang will get the second bridge. And there is likely to be a bonus. Penangites, who have long complained about the poor public transport system, will get a monorail link.

The second bridge, the monorail and the outer ring road will be the biggest improvement in the state’s public transport system. Hopefully, with this massive integrated link, Penangites will see the last of their transportation nightmare.

In short, it is time to end the chaotic traffic and deplorable public transport system in Penang. With Pak Lah as the Prime Minister, he can do plenty for his home state. Now is the time.

From traffic congestion to narrow streets to an almost non-existent bus system, Penangites have long had to put up with this daily grind.

I remember as a schoolboy a bus conductor used his elbow to stop me from getting on board a municipal council bus to my home in Kampung Melayu in Air Itam.

More than three decades later, the stressful situation hasn’t changed. There are now air-conditioned buses; but for passengers, it is still a daily test of patience as they wait for the bus by the roadside.

More than 1.4 million cars and motorcycles choke the state’s highways and narrow streets every day.

It is frightening because Penang only has a population of 1.45 million people.

The ratio of private vehicle ownership to the population in Penang is almost one to one while Selangor, with a population of over 4.6 million, records a ratio of one vehicle to two persons.

The average Penangite has a car and a motorcycle, maybe two, at home, for short-distance travel. Hardly anyone takes the taxi, because Penang cabbies have long refused to use the meter. The taxi sapu is the preferred choice.

Abdullah is unlikely to give any specific date for the construction of the monorail but the word is that preliminary work has been conducted.

There is even talk that for a start, the routes will be between George Town and Batu Ferringhi, Batu Uban and Paya Terubong.

The second bridge and monorail projects are justified, even overdue.

At present, an average of 110,000 vehicles use the existing bridge on weekdays, and as high as 120,000 on weekends.

The Penang Bridge’s optimal capacity is 80,000 vehicles.

The second bridge, estimated to cost RM2.6bil, is crucial if the Government plans to make Penang a regional transport hub, which will benefit Kedah and Perlis. At present, at least 54% of Penangites already live on the mainland.

But the people in other states won’t be left out. The focus of the 9MP will be the development of an integrated and efficient public transport system.

There is a likelihood that a public transport commission will be set up to oversee the improvement of public transport in the Klang Valley, the heart of the nation.

Transit hubs are expected to be set up in Kuala Lumpur for better travelling.

For the people in Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor, the 9MP focus is expected to be on upgrading the southern corridor. The expansion of development beyond the Klang Valley is inevitable.

The traffic congestion problem in Johor is as bad, if not worse than that in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, during the weekends, when Johoreans have to fight for space with Singaporean visitors. A dispersal link to ease the problem may be included in the 9MP.

But it won’t be just roads and bridges in the 9MP. The rail infrastructure is almost certain to be upgraded as it has been a reliable form of transport in many states; and special attention is expected to be given to new industrial areas.