DAP repeats warning on ‘white elephant’ LRT
It warns Abang Jo that in his eagerness to leave his mark, he may sink Sarawak into a bottomless pit of hefty debts as a result of the project.
KUCHING: DAP has reiterated its opposition to the light rail transit (LRT) system proposed by Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg to connect the state capital to surrounding townships.
Sarawak DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen, who was absent during the chief minister’s winding-up speech at the Sarawak assembly today, said the party still preferred cheaper alternatives to the LRT system.
“I regret that I am caught in the Bersih 4 trial at the Kuching Sessions Court and I could not be present at the Sarawak assembly to confront Abang Jo on his winding-up (speech),” Chong said in a statement today.
“However, I urge Abang Jo to re-think his Serian-Kuching-Damai-Samarahan LRT plan, especially if the Sarawak government is going to bear the full cost of construction,” said the Kota Sentosa assemblyman.
Abang Johari had proposed the LRT system but no detailed master plan has been released by the state government yet.
The chief minister said groundwork for the first LRT station should begin by 2020, but other details have been vague.
He told reporters today that studies had been conducted on the viability of the LRT system.
“We’ve got studies. We have the basic study already. It will be implemented within these three years,” he said after his winding-up speech.
“We’ve got the land. The land is there.”
For an indication of the estimated cost of building an LRT of such length, Chong referred to the LRT extension project of 51km in Kuala Lumpur which involved RM32 billion.
“Serian-Kuching-Samarahan-Damai is double that length. Its estimated cost will run into the tens of billions.
“Furthermore, construction will not be the end of the problem. There’s still the other issue of high maintenance cost. If the fares are cheap, it will not be sustainable. And if the fares are high, people cannot afford it.
“Either way, we are likely not to be able to cover the cost of operations.”
To resolve traffic issues, DAP proposed the acquisition of all existing public bus companies and the number of buses be doubled.
DAP also proposed the provision of a free public bus service for the first five years to change the commuting habits of residents, Chong said.
He said the proposal would cost the government less than RM200 million for the first year and RM50 million annually in subsequent years.
“It’ll cost less than the cost of building the LRT and will not burden the people.
“I call upon Abang Jo not to be too impulsive and eager to leave his mark, so much so that he sinks Sarawak into a bottomless pit of heavy debts.
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“Start with the basics first. Improve our public bus service first. The job of a government is to resolve people’s problems, not to build white elephant monuments for people to remember.”