Do Not Forget the Working Class in Penang

Understand the plight of the working class in Penang (13 December 2012)


This article is in response to the statement issued by the Penang Heritage Trust on 21 March, 2013. That statement is a response to the State Government's: "Recommended Transport Master Plan Strategy"

It strikes me as curious that the Penang Heritage Trust statement, "Light at the End of the Tunnel" is dated 21 March, 2013, yet it mentions the State Government's publication of the Penang Transport Master Plan, which only appears on 25 March. I wonder how the PHT statement is able to see into the future.

I agree with PHT that the State Government should continue its commitment to improving public transportation.

However, while PHT observes that the State Government's focus appears to be on infrastructure, unfortunately I observe that PHT's own focus appears to be George Town-centric.

The examples that PHT provided (e.g., car-free days in certain areas, conversion of certain streets to pedestrian malls, increased charges for on-street parking, restricted vehicle access during peak hours) is relevant only to George Town, and only to people who have the option whether or not to drive. It also shows that PHT has not invested enough thought to understand why people drive, even when buying a car is such an expensive exercise. Once again it offers the "Let Them Eat Cake" solution: make it harder for people to drive in George Town, and the congestion may go away.

While PHT is preoccupied with the congestion in George Town, it does not articulate a clear understanding of the plight of the general public elsewhere, those living in Teluk Bahang, Balik Pulau and Kepala Batas. It provides the unfortunate perception that as far as PHT is concerned, only George Town matters; everywhere else can disappear for all it cares.

How does a person travel from a low cost flat in Teluk Bahang, to work in Bayan Lepas? Or from Balik Pulau to Jelutong, or Paya Terubong to Batu Maung?

Many people drive not because they want to, but because they live so far away that car is the only reasonable option. A bus simply cannot get them to and from work in a reasonable amount of time (The master plan itself acknowledges this in paragraph 1.4, stating "Travel by public transport [however] tends to be much slower"). No matter how many buses we put on the road, we still have to factor in the time taken to walk to a bus stop, wait for a bus, take a bus, and some times, change buses. When these are added together, they severely curtail a person's productivity.

Just imagine, if you live in Balik Pulau and have to take the bus to work, there is so much less that you can do in a day. Although many within PHT are not what we would call "working people", in order to make Penang a friendlier place, we need to think like working people.

The State Government's move to improve transport by building highways is spot-on in helping the people of Penang. The new highways will cut distances and make bus journeys worth considering. Luckily we have a State Government that takes care of the people of the whole Penang State, and not just George Town.

Instead of being completely preoccupied with the congestion of George Town, PHT should articulate ideas that will reduce travel time for working people. Life for the working class is tough as it is without it being made harder. It's already hard life having to travel by car, why do we make it even harder by forcing people to travel by bus or worse, tram? (Will trams be faster than bus?)

If PHT can hold its meetings in Balik Pulau, and all members must take the bus there, then PHT will understand the hardship faced by the working class, and why despite the high cost of maintaining a car, they would still drive to go to work. Before we make proposals that affect people's lives, we should understand and be sympathetic to their hardship.

PHT also has to bear in mind that the cars on the roads in Penang are unlikely to disappear any time soon, unless no more new cars are sold. While I do support steps to encourage people to take public transport, I caution that such steps also make Penang less friendly by reducing the ease and comfort of travel.

PHT acknowledges the challenges faced by the State Government. It urges (and here I fully support) the State Government to redouble its effort in seeking cooperation with the Federal Government to implement public transportation solutions that will ease traffic congestions. On the other hand, it should also convey its appreciation of the State Government for its willingness to find alternative solutions when that cooperation is not forthcoming.

The Transport Master Plan indicates a tunnel to be constructed (not assessed) in 2025 to 2030. If it can be completed earlier, so much the better, but the amount of engineering and design expected will see this project on the drawing board for years to come. Certainly it will not be completed tomorrow, but many, many morrows from now. So it is best to start soon rather than procrastinate to tomorrow. The sooner the tunnel is built, the faster the welfare and the needs of people living in northern Seberang Perai can be addressed.

However, it is unfortunate that the PHT statement applies the word "mega-project" to the tunnel. While not inaccurate, the term "mega-project" usually carries a negative connotation of extravagance, and is used by critics of projects which they deem unnecessary.

But is it unnecessary? Those who call it mega-project should switch house with someone living in Tasek Gelugor, and from now until 2025/2030, commute to work daily to George Town, while that Tasek Gelugor person lives in his house in George Town, and enjoys what he took for granted. Then he will realise that calling the tunnel "mega-project" is very offensive and George Town-centric, and that "essential infrastructure" is more appropriate.

Once we focus our priority to helping working people, particularly those outside George Town, and in the outer rims of Penang State, we begin to appreciate that anything that can improve their livelihood has to be done as soon as possible.

The PHT statement also reminds the State Government that the objective of the proposed highways is to alleviate traffic and not open more areas for high-density development. It doesn't however offer a solution against high-density development, nor does it address the issue of why is there high-density development.

We have to acknowledge that development descends on Penang because it is one of the main cities of Malaysia. We have three options for dealing with it. We can let it go UP (by building ever taller buildings), go OUT (by developing undeveloped parts of the state, such as northern Seberang Perai), or go AWAY (by rejecting development so that it flows to other cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore). But if our population continues to increase (cf.: Master Plan 1.5), are we at liberty to reject development?

Finally, PHT is not able to understand why the Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang highway is accorded first priority. I didn't know it is, but now that that is pointed out to me, it makes perfect sense. What I have said in this lengthy article should have provided PHT the answer. Think about it.

A lot of other questions raised by the PHT statement have already been responded to by the State Government in various speeches given by the Chief Minister, so I won't go into details.

Having been a PHT council member myself for three terms, I now urge the present torch bearers to prioritize on the ease and comfort of the working class in Penang. That should always be our priority. Whatever statement issued by PHT that affects the general public should include words like "working class", "the poor", "the disadvantaged", following by proposals of how Penang can be a friendlier, more comfortable, more caring place for them. PHT should think not just about George Town, and assume the concerns of the people of George Town to be the only concerns that matter. We cannot be seen as living in ivory towers and issuing statements that reflect how oblivious we are to the condition of the people of Penang State at large.

We should be thankful to have a State Government that is capable of seeing a broader picture, and to plan ahead so that in future, even as the population continues to rise, the roads will not get totally choked. Heritage is important. The environment is important. But the welfare of the working-class in Penang is paramount.

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