12 theSun | WEDNESDAY JULY 29 2009

speak up!

thesun says

Much depends on Najib’s plan

CLEARLY what Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak did when
announcing the Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) and the lead ministers
for the six national key result areas
(NKRA) was to flesh out his “plan of ac-
tion” to strengthen and equip Malaysia
for a new leap forward into a much
globalised world. As he himself said
when addressing a large gathering of
civil service officers whose support
he’s counting on for the success of
his plan in Putrajaya on Monday, the
country had no choice but to embark
on the ambitious short-term strategy
to put the country on a better footing
to compete globally. “If we don’t move
forward with confidence we risk being
left behind in this highly competitive
global environment,” he said. Indeed
Malaysia must be prepared and prop-
erly equipped to compete again when
the world recovers from the economic
turmoil it has been grappling with for
the past two years.
Since he took office on April 3,
Najib had been unveiling bit by bit his
plan to drive his 1Malaysia concept
forward and to make the country
whole again. On completing his 100
days in office on July 11, he told a
cheering crowd in Kuala Lumpur that
his administration would give priority
to fighting crime, fighting corruption,
improving education, upgrading low-
income households, upgrading rural
basic infrastructure and upgrading
urban public transport – the six NK-
RAs – to ensure everyone benefits. It
is a systematic effort involving close
monitoring by the prime minister and
his deputy with them meeting those
involved in a particular NKRA every six
weeks. The progress or lack of it will be
monitored from a centre which Najib
referred to as the “war room” where
adjustments can be made to ensure
each NKRA achieves its objectives.
Najib’s “plan of action” may seem
like an upgraded version of his fa-
ther’s “strategy for action” embarked
on more than five decades ago. As
deputy prime minister and minister
for national and rural development,
Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, was put in
charge of an ambitious plan to develop
the newly independent country. There
was urban development and rural
development. But it was in the open-
ing of land schemes for the poor that
Razak is much remembered today. By
the time of his death in 1976, about
80 land schemes had been opened
up and provided homes and hope to
about half a million landless and help-
less people.
What drove him? In those days
when Southeast Asia was at the mercy
of predator countries and threat from
the communists, Malaysia, with a small
army, air force and navy, had no choice
but to develop quickly. “The greatest
safeguard of our country’s sovereignty
is not only defence but even more so,
development,” the country’s second
prime minister was often quoted as
saying. Much more depends on the
success of Najib’s monumental “plan
of action” than just “being left behind
in the stiff global race.”

letters
letters@thesundaily.com

Alternative proposal
is slower but safer
THE Penang Heritage Trust would like to respond
to the letter “Hill railway upgrade keeps heritage
value” (July 27) from the secretary general of the
Tourism Ministry on the reasons for its adoption of
the more expensive single stage system.
As mentioned by Datuk Ong Hong Peng, the
NGOs have been involved in discussions over the
best solution for improving this historic icon and
industrial heritage. We believe we have explained
why from almost every aspect, from engineering,
logistics, cost and the social disruption of the hill
residents, our proposal to upgrade by retaining
the original two-stage system wins hands down.
As this is a massive project using public funds,
we feel an obligation to make our views public on
behalf of the NGOs
In a long letter none of the issues we raised
were addressed satisfactorily or meaningfully. To
suggest that the system that Ric Francis proposed
will be a clone, is inferior and will not last as long
as the JKR system is either to deliberately mis-
understand the proposal or to distort it. We wish
to re-state firmly that the alternative proposal we
put forward with Francis will last as long, as safe
(if not safer, because the speed is slower), as
reliable and has the same capacity.
In addition no convincing reasons were
given for rejecting a proposal that is much
cheaper, faster to implement, less disruptive
to the local people and preserves the entire
heritage value of the system and not just the
viaducts and tunnel. The only merit of the
JKR system is that it is more expensive, it
seems to us.
Taking tourists straight to the top at 10
times the present speed in an air-conditioned
coach is to deprive them of the pleasure of the
leisurely trip that enables them to experience
and savour the delightfully charming journey.
The change in the middle station is not a
negative point and no tourist has complained.
It is part of the heritage characteristic.
In suggesting that the system Francis
proposed will result in a clone is to misunder-
stand how complex engineering systems are
put together. All engineering systems, even
the family car or the lap-top, are assembled
from components sourced from different
manufacturers, but that does not make them
clones. No manufacturer makes every com-
ponent he uses. Similarly the new funicular
will be assembled from components made by
different suppliers. If Francis’s proposal will
result in a clone, so will the JKR system.
At least 80% of the present mechanical
equipment is still in good working condition
and will last another 80 years or more. This is
30 years longer than the JKR system which the
secretary general has stated will last 50 years.
All that is required in the Francis proposal is
to change the motors and the gears. There is
no excuse or reason for replacing them
Nowhere in his letter did Ong show that he
is sympathetic to the travails that the residents
and hawkers will go thorough during the
10-month shut-down. About 50 people are
totally dependent on the railway to reach the
city and Ong has their names. How will the
children go to school? How will the older folk
go to the city in an emergency?
By ordinary standards the earthworks
is small, but please remember that the site
is 1,200ft up a steep slope in an area that is
known for its heavy rainfall. By any standard
it will be a challenging site. Also is Ong aware
of the point Francis made in a letter which ap-
peared below his: to join the two tracks one of
them will have to be raised by 5ft and shifted
to one side by 15ft.
All things considered we doubt if the job
can be done in 10 months.
Before making a final decision we sincerely
suggest the tourism minister and Ong visit
the site to talk to the people who will be most
affected and to see the actual conditions.
Dr Choong Sim Poey
Penang Heritage Trust
Cause for concern ... electrical cables left dangling along the Penang Hill railway
Troubling ride on hill railway
I WAS deeply troubled by safety issues dur-
ing my first ride on the Penang Hill Funicular
Railway. My concerns ranged from inad-
equate crowd control to the lack of proper
facilities.
To get on the railway, I had to endure long
queues, then watch everyone rush ahead to
get a seat. Once inside the crowded coach,
I sweated throughout the long ride due to
the improper air circulation and ventilation.
Outside the surrounding landscape showed
obvious signs of erosion, which got worse as
we got higher.
At the middle station with no seating
area, the crowds had no choice but to stand
and wait until the upper train arrived. The
crowds again rushed across the dangerous
platform steps to get seats. The conductor
attached an air hose to the train, turned on
the compressor and added air to the train
to enable the doors to close. Even then the
doors were not securely closed. Is there
adequate air pressure to open the doors in
an emergency?
Along the upper section, the ride is
bumpy indicating that the foundation un-
derneath the tracks has settled or is falling
apart. The numerous landslides along the
tracks show increased levels of soil erosion.
Proper drainage and slope repair techniques
must be used to rectify the problem, not blue
plastic sheets.
The wire ropes that pull the trains are
inconsistent in gauge and quality. The upper
section is thicker in gauge but is somewhat
dented and inconsistent whereas the lower
section is smaller in gauge which can eas-
ily be seen despite the thick layer of grease.
How do the coaches compensate for these
different gauges?
The railways show an unbelievable
amount of wear and tear. If the wire rope
were to loosen or break, the safety catch
should theoretically lock the coach wheels
onto the rail, preventing the coach from slid-
ing down the hill. Are these 85-year-old aging
rails still capable of supporting the weight
of the coach? How often are they inspected
and certified safe? Are these structurally
weakened rails and tracks the reason why
the train travels at such a slow pace?
Is there a back-up safety system capable
of using efficient standby power or manual
over-ride to move the train to the nearest
station to safely disembark the passengers
in case of a power failure or any type of
malfunction?
If there was a problem and the techni-
cians failed to repair it, the passengers then
would have to put their lives at risk by walk-
ing down the steep, dangerous, grease-laden,
electrically wired, and non-lighted pathway
to the nearest station. If the train happened to
stop in a tunnel, the situation would be even
worse as the passengers would be trapped.
Is there an emergency response plan?
I did not see one. Where are the statutory
certificates confirming that the train is regu-
larly inspected and certified safe? I didn’t
see these either. If there is an accident, are
passengers covered by insurance? Does the
Penang Hill funicular meet international
safety standards?
I hope those who champion the Heritage
call do not ignore the subject of safety. I
understand the need to preserve buildings
and culture, but when it comes to machinery
with moving parts, it is a different matter.
Perhaps those in authority should take a
ride on the railway, observe the conditions
and insist on a total long-term solution.
Brian Evans
Via email