In Temerloh, Pahang, there are BUS STOPS but there is NO Public Busses that is traveling around Temerloh/Mentakab which people can easily use to get from place to place within Temerloh. Because, of approved development by the Majlis Perbandaran Temerloh, a wider area where people are living - distances to get to the Hospital/Health Centres are now 5-15Km, likewise the distance to get to government offices, supermarkets, etc... - A NEED for an affordable Public Transport system in Temerloh - nay in all towns and rural Malaysia.
As subsidies of diesel(and soon petrol) goes away, and noting the increased cost of living, people need public transport everywhere...That should be PRIORITY OF THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT.
Do you care for Malaysia, or are you focused only on Klang Valley, and the west coast (or just KL-Selangor-Negeri Sembilan-Johor? Travel around the COUNTRY and solve the problem of accessible public transport - knowing that many cannot drive or own cars/motorbikes.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT is a service provided by government, and it is often NOT a profit-making business, as some routes to Kampungs,etc will not have much passenger volume.
SO, Minister Anthony Loke - do something FAST to solve this "MAJOR RAKYAT PROBLEM" - best if the government provide these public bus service. Maybe, the Local Government should do it - Minister NGA KOR MING.
GRAB - well, that really is not an AFFORDABLE Public Service solution - as it cost a lot, and cost vary from RM6-RM20 for the same journey.
Earlier, the problem was that FEDERAL GOVERNMENT controlled licensing - should it be given to Local Governments/State Governments?
Should we introduce MOTORBIKE Taxis, like in Thailand?
RAIL-SERVICES
In Peninsular, there are 2 major lines
a) On the West Coast, from Padang Besar to Johor Baru
- well, this has been up-graded, with a lot of trains, and soon the DOUBLE-TRACK project would be completed end of the year/early next year, and trains will travel at about 140Km/h or more?
b) On the East Coast, from Tumpat to Gemas
- But, the east coast line has been ignored - should it also not be DOUBLE-TRACK, and with an increase on regular train services? Is ANTHONY LOKE DISCRIMINATING against the Rail Services that passes Kelantan and Pahang until GEMAS?
HIGH_SPEED RAIL Between KL-Singapore
Why is there so much attention on this possibiliy more that RM100 Billion project? Any reasonable government will wait for the completion of the DOUBLE-TRACK project(in early 2025), and see how it goes. Is there still a NEED for that HSR?
RAIL NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
There are many towns that are not accessible by Rail. The ECRL is coming soon. Should not the Ministry of Transport be focusing on developing RAIL LINKS from these towns to the Stations of the upcoming ECRL, or the existing KTM Stations - thus allowing people to get in the train easily to reach and use the main lines for travel.
But, then Anthony Loke is taking so long to even REPAIR and get the KLIA Aero Train running again?
Then, he is having problems again with Malaysian Airlines - with so many planes 'turning back"?
A Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane on a flight from Kuala Lumpur
International Airport (KLIA) to Incheon International Airport, South
Korea was reported to have turned back early this morning. - Malaysiakini, 2/9/2024
This is the latest incident involving MAS flights being forced to turn back or be diverted in less than a month.
On Aug 22, flight MH152 which departed from Kuala Lumpur at 2.23pm bound for Madinah, Saudi Arabia had to turn around due to a pressurisation issue and landed back at KLIA at 5.22pm.
The day before that, flight MH386, which also used an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, departed from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai at 9.14pm and reportedly had to turn back to KLIA after flying for about 70 minutes, due to cabin pressure problems.
On Aug 20, flight MH128 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur had to make an emergency stop at Alice Springs Airport, Australia due to engine problems at approximately 4.35am local time.
On Aug 4, a flight MH156 carrying 259 Umrah pilgrims bound for Jeddah turned back to KLIA due to technical problems shortly after take off.
So, what is the problem with MAS planes. So many incidents will impact MAS - how many passengers will it lose? Who wants to take an airline with such problems.
ANTHONY LOKE - FOCUS on Public Transport(Busses) for all towns/districts in Malaysia - help the people get to Hospitals/Clinics, Supermarket/Markets, Police Station, Government Offices easily from their homes using PUBLIC BUSSES(affordable)
Maybe, these PUBLIC BUS Services should be run/maintained by the LOCAL GOVERNMENT or Government, as public transport around town/Districts generally not profitable - as government duty bound to provide busses for outlying kampungs, etc where the number of passengers may be low...
FOCUS on up-grading TRAIN SERVICES. Double-Track for the East Coast Line, and improving service. Do not DISCRIMINATE against the people in Kelantan, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan...
The East Coast railway line (ECRL) is a single-track metre gauge railway line in Malaysia that runs between the Gemas railway station in Negeri Sembilan and the Tumpat railway station in Kelantan.
FOCUS on new train lines from all towns to the main stations of the existing KTM stations, and the upcoming ECRL stations.
According to the Flightradar24 website, the flight using an Airbus A330-323 aircraft took off from KLIA at 12.01am before turning around and landing safely at KLIA a few hours later.
According to information on the global flight tracker website, flight MH66 was supposed to take off at 11.30pm yesterday.
In a statement, MAS said the flight was turned back due to a technical issue with its hydraulic system.
“All passengers have been accommodated at a hotel and the flight has been rescheduled to operate as MH66D, departing at 8pm today.
“The return leg, MH67D, has also been rescheduled to depart at 5.10am (local Incheon time) on Sept 3.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” MAS said.
CAAM to probe
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Norazman Mahmud said his agency had also been informed of the incident.
“The airline (MAS) has given a preliminary report to CAAM. However, detailed information will only be available after a full investigation.
“All the crew and passengers of the fight are safe,” he said when contacted.
This is the latest incident involving MAS flights being forced to turn back or be diverted in less than a month.
On Aug 22, flight MH152 which departed from Kuala Lumpur at 2.23pm bound for Madinah, Saudi Arabia had to turn around due to a pressurisation issue and landed back at KLIA at 5.22pm.
The day before that, flight MH386, which also used an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, departed from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai at 9.14pm and reportedly had to turn back to KLIA after flying for about 70 minutes, due to cabin pressure problems.
On Aug 20, flight MH128 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur had to make an emergency stop at Alice Springs Airport, Australia due to engine problems at approximately 4.35am local time.
On Aug 4, a flight MH156 carrying 259 Umrah pilgrims bound for Jeddah turned back to KLIA due to technical problems shortly after take off.
- Bernama, Malaysiakini, 2/9/2024
Transport Ministry receives first set of electric trains for Gemas-Johor Baru Electric Double Track service
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Malaysia has received the first set of electric trains (ETS3) for the Gemas-Johor Baru Electric Double Track service yesterday.
The ETS3 train were handed over by the contractor CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) at a presentation ceremony in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, China.
At the event, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he was happy that the ETS3 project was going well and hoped that the next set would be delivered and completed on time.
“When this rolling stock (is ready) by next year, we will start the ETS service from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to Johor Baru when the Johor Baru — Gemas track is ready later.
“Wait for this service to arrive and we will provide the latest service to Malaysians,” he said through a video shared by MoT to the Malaysian media today.
Meanwhile, Loke in his speech at the ceremony said the new ETS3 train has a seating capacity of 312 seats, with 36 for business class and 276 standard seats.
“I have been informed that a total of eight trains will be assembled in Malaysia apart from the first two sets that will be shipped from Zhuzhou, China,” he said.
Loke said the expected delivery date for all is set by August 12 next year, and ETS3 trains will be used for the Gemas-Johor Baru newly electrified and double-tracked sections as well as the entire West Coast Rail Network from Padang Besar in the North to Johor Baru in the South.
The new trains will enable transformations in travel behaviour in Malaysia, he said.
He also described it as a game changer for millions of Malaysians, as journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru will be greatly reduced and transport reliability and safety will also improve significantly.
“It is also worth mentioning that significant efforts have been made to ensure Malaysian local manufacturers have meaningful participation and benefits from the positive spillover by working with CRRC in Malaysia,” he said.
The Gemas-Johor Baru electrified double-tracking rail project includes 192 kilometres of track and 11 stops. It will travel through four major districts in Johor, including Segamat, Kluang, Kulai, and Johor Baru, before concluding at JB Sentral.
Upon completion,
the journey from KL Sentral in Brickfields to JB Sentral will take
three hours and 30 minutes at a speed of 140 km per hour. — Bernama, Malay Mail, 8/6/2024
Loke denies HSR will cost RM120bil
New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has refuted his claims that the cost of the proposed KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) could rise to RM120 billion.
This comes after his predecessor, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said recent reports indicated that the cost of the project has surged to RM120 billion from the RM70 billion it would have originally cost.
"I don't know where they (reports) got the RM120 billion figure," he was quoted as saying at an event today.
The 350km-long HSR project was agreed to by Malaysia and Singapore in December 2016, to reduce travel time between KL and Singapore to 90 minutes.
However, the project was scrapped in 2021 by the then-Pakatan Harapan government.
Putrajaya previously said it was open to reviving the project though it must not involve government funding.
Meanwhile, Loke said a decision on the project is expected by the end of the year.
"There has been interest from the private sector, and they have submitted their proposals.
"We are currently assessing these, and the Transport Ministry is preparing a Cabinet paper for review."
Yesterday, Wee suggested aligning the HSR project with the RM140 billion Bandar Malaysia development to maximise its potential benefits and financial viability.
On this, Loke said Wee was free to express his views though the Cabinet would make a final decision.
In March, The Edge reported that companies including YTL Corp, Berjaya Land Bhd, and China Railway Construction Corporation have been shortlisted for the project.
_20240517160213_theedgemalaysia.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 28): The validity of Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s air operator certificate (AOC) has been reduced from three years to one year after a probe into the technical issues the state-owned carrier faced recently, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
This was done by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to ensure that the airline complies with the mitigation plan that was announced by its parent company Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd on Saturday to address flight disruption issues that was identified by CAAM during its June 24-28 audit.
CAAM's audit had revealed significant problems involving mechanical components and a shortage of skilled maintenance personnel, Loke said at a news conference on Wednesday.
MAG's mitigation plan includes enhancing aircraft security, aggressive recruitment of skilled workers, reducing reliance on third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul or MRO services, and securing a reliable supply of engine spare parts from original equipment manufacturers.
Loke said MAG has been instructed to submit a monthly report on the implementation status of its mitigation plan.
Meanwhile, he expressed confidence about MAG's financial position despite its plan to cut Malaysia Airlines’ network for the rest of the year, which is expected to impact revenue.
MAG said the scaling down of the airline's network until December is to facilitate the implementation of corrective measures due to increasing pressure from passengers over recent flight disruptions.
"Definitely there will be a financial impact, and revenue will be affected by cutting down operations. But I believe they are still in a good financial position," Loke said.
Regarding the need for additional financial support from MAG's sole shareholder, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Loke said this will depend on MAG's management, saying the matter does not fall under the Ministry of Transport's purview.
The government has instructed MAG to take all necessary steps to restore public confidence in Malaysia Airlines' safety, said Loke.
"MAG must ensure that all aircraft are in optimal condition. We will not take any chances; the safety of passengers and crew is always our top priority, regardless of the costs or revenue," Loke stressed.
MAG reported a net profit of RM766 million in FY2013, marking its first annual profit since the group was formed following the privatisation of Malaysia Airlines in 2014.
According to Shukor Yusof, founder and analyst of aviation research firm Endau Analytics, MAG’s decision to reduce its network could result in a huge loss for the airline group in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2024 (FY2024).
“How much losses MAG will incur remain unclear at this stage, but a back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests this could be in the hundreds of millions of ringgit. This means MAG will end its financial year deep in the red, despite having been cash-positive for much of this year,” he said in a LinkedIn post on Monday. - Edge Malaysia, 28/8/2024
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said passengers can opt for a full refund if they wish to cancel their journey, and airlines must issue refunds through the original mode of payment. (Filepix by Shahrill Basri/The Edge)
PUTRAJAYA (Aug 28): Airlines will be required starting next month to fully refund passengers for flights delayed by five hours or more.
Passengers can opt for a full refund if they wish to cancel their journey, and airlines must issue refunds through the original mode of payment, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. All cancelled flights must be removed from booking systems, including online and offline travel agent platforms, he said.
“This is to protect users from buying cancelled flight tickets,” he said at a news conference.
The policy is part of the changes made to the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016, which will be gazetted on Sept 2. The regulation is aimed at ensuring transparency on airlines' obligations and providing clear guidance on consumer rights during flight disruptions.
Failure to comply with the regulation can result in a maximum penalty of RM200,000 with subsequent non-compliance resulting in a penalty 10 times greater than the initial fine.
For flight disruptions caused by unforeseen circumstances, airlines must first offer refunds but may also provide alternative reimbursement options such as travel vouchers or credit shells, Loke said.
“However, users have the right to choose their preferred mode of refund,” he said. “The refunds will be made within 30 days.”
Airlines are also required to reimburse fuel surcharges, taxes, fees, and charges such as emission levies, passenger service charges and carbon fees, for both refundable and non-refundable tickets if the flight is not taken by the passenger, Loke noted.
Any change in the scheduled departure time must be notified to passengers at least two weeks before the actual departure, unless due to extraordinary circumstances or unavoidable technical problems, effective January 2025.
Other improvements include requiring airlines to notify passengers of denied boarding due to overbooking at check-in or the gate, prohibiting denial after boarding, and extending the complaint submission period from one year to two years.
With the regulatory enhancements, “passengers can be assured of better protection during air travel”, Loke said. The Malaysian Aviation Commission will also continue to monitor airline performance to ensure compliance with industry standards, he said.
The slew of changes comes as national flag carrier Malaysia Airlines faces pressure from passengers over recent flight disruptions that left many stranded at airports.
On
Saturday, Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd, the airline's parent company,
announced it would temporarily reduce its network from now until
December to implement corrective measures as needed. - The Edge, 28/8/2024
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