Discriminated Again: KL continues to get preferential treatment

Many may not have experienced the rail service on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia to realize that it really has not improved much since the British gave us independence. Whilst most countries in the developed and developing world are developing their rail network and quality of trains, Malaysian government still ignores this. There has been no new railway links - like from Kota Baru to Johor Bahru passing through Kuala Trengganu (capital of Trengganu), Kuantan (capital of Pahang) all the way to Johor Bahru. No rail links linking the East Coast to the West Coast - from Kota Baru we still have to go south and turn at (or take a new train at) Gemas to go to Kuala Lumpur. We know also that for development, a rail link is essential as it is so easy to transport container loads of products to ports, etc... and, looking at this coming budget, we see that the Federal Government continues to discriminate against the East Coast states of the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak. The preferential treatment to Klan Valley continues - maybe now more focused on Kuala Lumpur.

There are 28.5 million Malaysians - and only about 10% is in KL. 

Well, the government is going to spend more money in "Mass Transit System", another foolish 100 storey building ....

The Mass Rapid Transit project is to be implemented beginning 2011 with a private investment of RM40 billion and is targetted to complete by 2020...

RM5 bil new tower in KL

• A new landmark, the Warisan Merdeka, to be developed by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), is expected to be completed in 2020 and will include a 100-storey tower, the tallest in Malaysia, which is to be completed by 2015.

• It will stand on land adjacent to Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara. Both stadiums are to be retained as national heritage sites....

RM50 million to construct several shaded walkways in the Bukit Bintang-KLCC vicinity...- Malaysiakini, 15/10/2010,  Salient points in Budget 2011

100 storey building - why? We have no shortage of land like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan - and really do we not worry about earthquakes, fires, etc. What about the safety....and the other impacts of such a building? More cars....more traffic jam. Environment pollution...and why is the government spending money for this. Let the private developers spend their own money... and who is going to build this? Malaysians? Or some foreign company... I am sure that there is already a glut as far as office spaces are concerned - so why are we talking about a building even taller that the Petronas Twin Towers....