We won’t see Singapore-style public transport in our lifetimes

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YOURSAY | ‘Any fool can build this archaic snail-speed transport for half the price.’

Five reasons why public transport in M’sia is dearer than in S’pore

Dahjadi Bubur: Thanks, Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming. Excellent finance lesson for me.

Knowing the ways things are run in Bolehsia, it looks like there is a lot of impossible ‘ifs’ to achieve in order to match Singapore's public transportation system.

I think most of us won't be able to see it within our lifetimes.

FellowMalaysian: Indeed, a comprehensive investigation by Ong.

With a debt-servicing ratio of 81 percent of its revenue (compared to 1 percent for Singapore’s SMRT), and having to pay for construction costs of existing and new lines of LRT, it’s little wonder why Prasarana's total accumulated debt will balloon to RM20 billion this year.

This will become a regular and debilitating fiscal problem if some form of 'bailout' is not instituted. Any fool can build this archaic snail-speed transport for half the price.

Hplooi: The use of 'debt' to fund infrastructure development has been the mode started by Dr Mahathir Mohamad. In contrast, Singapore funded all infrastructure works internally.

Malaysia suffers from a double whammy of high-financing rates and marked-up prices. All these is part of the political patronage system.

During Dr M's era, our oil wealth was allegedly recycled as easy loans to cronies, ensuring instant creation of a crony billionaire class.

Many of the cronies were literal rags-to-riches (due to 'oil wealth recycled as debt') but minus the hard work and business acumen. A high-debt gearing without the improvement in productivity factor is a disaster waiting to happen.

Wira: The Penang government should follow the Singapore model in the LRT it is planning for the state.

The land banks created from the three islands created at the southern side of the island should be used to defray the cost and exchange for the ownership of the lines, rolling stock and other equipment.

Build and run it more transparently than the LRT lines in Kuala Lumpur. Make Penang an example.

Anonymous_1388029052: Very good write-up, Ong. You must have spent a lot of time in its research.

The officials in the Transport Ministry and Prasarana should read this article and see how they can cooperate and make improvements.

Of course, Ong won’t bring in the corruption cost factor because in Malaysia everybody is aware of that.

Annonymous: We all know these, YB Ong. Just like every idiot also knows who Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) is.

While you are trying to be balanced in this report, there is no need to waste so much time writing a long analysis when the country is ailing and the people suffering and having to pay burdensome taxes (income tax, Goods and Services Tax or GST, toll charges, stamp duties, etc, etc).

It’s is simply due to the fact that Malaysia is a failed state - where meritocracy is a dirty word; good governance, public tender for billion-ringgit projects and transparency are non-existent; and contract for public projects are hidden under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and the country is allegedly ruled by bigots, incompetents, cronies and the corrupt.

The worst is yet to come simply due to these ‘haram’ words: ‘Wholesale corruption’.

Jaycee: Has there been any profit in any government-run organisations? And of course, the government allegedly does not want to fund public infrastructure.

But instead, they have no qualms funding the movie ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (albeit not directly as the funds were allegedly stolen from the national coffers).

Ng Sim Bee: In Singapore, on a dollar-to-dollar basis, you can still buy a cup of coffee for S$0.90 to S$1, a bowl of noodles for around S$3.50.

Whereas we have to pay as much as RM1.70 for a coffee and RM6 to RM7 for a bowl of mee in the city like KL or Petaling Jaya. Bear in mind that their basic wage is also S$1,000.

888: Not only transport costs are lower in Singapore, but also maid agency fees. There, the agency fee is S$400, here it's RM14,000, and the maids, especially from Indonesia, are very likely to run away.

Bad Head: Ong, you have forgotten to factor in the corruption - one for you, one for me...

Umno Youth leader urges rush hour discounts for public transport

Anonymous_3e86: Public transport normally give discounts during off-peak hours, not during rush hours. This is to encourage non-office workers to travel during off-peak.

By giving discounts during peak hours it only makes the congestion in public transport worse. Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii, it's not a good suggestion.

Tpn: One suggestion for the authorities is for workers to start work early and finish early (8am to 4.30pm).

Anonymous_1391693662: Leaders should also not feel shy to use commercial airlines for official trips. Don't waste millions on private jets.

The millions could be used to better the public parking services and the monthly charges could be reduced. It could also be used to reduce public transportation costs.

The Analyser: The Malaysian ability not to think past the first idea that comes to mind is truly astounding. If Razlan’s idea is not a subsidy, I don’t know what else it is. - Mkini