MyRapid Transit (MRT) an implementing agency, not one-stop center

And the facts are:

I read with much amusement comments demanding MRT Corp show proof of the Compulsory Land Acquisition being rescinded, conduct / reveal results of Social Impact Assesment and conduct / show result of Soil Test in Jalan Sultan.

I was made to understand that some people speaking have a Masters in Waste Management, which explains the nonsensical demands... aiyah classic case of garbage in garbage out.

1. Any matters related to Land Acquisition falls squarely under the jusrisdiction of the Pejabat Tanah dan Galian, in tis instance the state Land and Minerals Office. Only they can decide to stop or continue with the Compulsory Land Acquisition process.

2. Only the Department of Environment has the legal authority to require a EIA report. In this case an EIA was required and done. The Social Impact Assessment (SIA) was done as part of the EIA for the entire Sungai-buloh-Kajang line. There is no legal requirement / precedent to do a SIA just because a couple of people demand it.

3. Soil test are done by engineers. Here I understand that it has been done, and will be given to the parties requesting it and displayed for public consumption.

The million-dollar question.... What else is this orry group going to be demanding? Now with heritage status being promised for jalan sultan - owners can no longer develop their buildings past five stories - lost a chance to claim more compensation for 'plans' to redevelop la.. so they got whacked on their on game.

Last resort - ask for total realignment!! Despite the fact there is NO acquisition, NO demolition, and guarantees that their buildings will be made safe.

Interesting they dont even mind other owners' buildings will be demolished if there is realignment to Jalan Tan Cheng Lock.

I say lets move on and get the MRT back on track. the traffic to KLCC yesterday evening after the downpour was just crazy. TWO hours wasted!

Felda Settlers Should Benefit from FGVH listing

I am a little sad that we Malaysians find it so easy to politicise everything we disagree with. If I am a memeber of a cooperative and I have saved every little that I can there and if the cooperative makes money by being well-managed - I expect a good return on my savings too.

Here we have over 112,000 Felda Settlers who have been toiling on land and working their plantations for over 50 years. Years of pure hard work and sacrifice living at unimaginable jungle areas and commitment to their family surely deserves some reward?

CPO prices are at almost RM3,500 per tonne now. Cost of production only at RM 1,400 per tonne. Lets just say overall production capacity is 50,000 per month. That is RM80 million per month in gross profits. As CPO prices have only done so well over the past two years, why not give some of this back to the very settlers who have worked so hard? It is after all money that comes from the profits Felda has accrued over the years and made more by the recent high CPO prices.

This is not our money, not the government's money. It is Felda's money.

Durian runtuh or buah runtuh - it is Felda Settlers' blood sweat and tears, their money. I say ley them enjoy it. For other co-operative members, they get Pink Forms for the FGVH listing. They have an option to buy shares, at cost, if they choose too. Banks will provide loans assistance if they take it up. I doubt banks would want to give each applicant millions, credit checks and guarntors will be required. So what's the issue - we took loans to buy TNB, Petronas Chemicals, Maxis shares when they were listed. We will probably do the same with FGVH IPO. Why cant the Felda Settlers or KPF members do the same to get their pink forms? 

IPOs require Investment Bankers. No different anywhere. Fees are dependent on complexity and size of the IPO. The FGVH IPO is touted to be the biggest this year. It is surely bigger than the MSM IPO. When the FGVH prospectus is revealed, details will be easily available on the fees put aside for listing to all advisers. Lets wait for that before speculating, postulating, rumor-mongering.

My take? we should work for and enjoy our ricebowl and stop casting a jealous eye over other people's fruits.

We Need Consensus in Decision-Making in the My Rapid Transit project (MRT)

It has now been just over six months since MRT Corporation (MRT Corp) has been established, and I can honestly say that I am pleased with the progress of the nation’s largest public infrastructure project during this relatively short period of time.

There is a FEELING that things are moving, that the projects meant to improve our socio-economic well-being are taking shape and being implemented. The recently awarded the tunnelling package worth RM8.2 billion to MMC-Gamuda JV was obviously one of the most anticipated news as it is the project’s single largest package for the construction of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. The tunnelling job was awarded sooner than expected and this clearly exemplifies the administration’s commitment to ensure the smooth implementation of the MRT project. It was rather surprising though that the market did not quite react to this news as reflected in the movement of the Gamuda share price.

I don’t envy the position MRT Corp is in. In fact, I am sure that the past six months have been very challenging. Imagine the incredible amount of pressure of handling the biggest infrastructure project in the country and the land acquisition issue affecting landowners in hotspots, particularly Jalan Sultan, Jalan Inai and Jalan Bukit Bintang.  These are major issues that need mutual trust and consensus to address quickly and effectively.

When I first became acquainted with the MRT issue, the landowners in these areas were faced with compulsory land acquisition to make way for the MRT project. The best way to manage these highly sensitive issues is definitely not through the force of law, but out-of-the-box, rakyat-friendly solutions. I also believe that any decision arrived at should be made through the general consensus by all concerned stakeholders. Though this sounds quite simple enough, the process usually requires a great deal of understanding of the issue and above all, mutual trust. All concerned parties should be given their say on a particular raised issue and the solution to the issue should be based on the one that satisfies the concerned group the most.

In the case of Jalan Sultan, months were spent listening to views and specific solutions were tailored to address their concerns by offering a mutually acceptable agreement to all affected parties. From my understanding, the mutual agreement provides a win-win solution for both MRT Corp and the landowners and promotes co-existence in Jalan Sultan. No Acquisition, No Demolition, Heritage Preserved says the Advertisement. To date, it has been reported that 19 out of 23 lot owners in Jalan Sultan have agreed to pursue the mutual agreement. In fact, MRT Corp has signed a POA with the owner of six lots of land in Jalan Sultan on 29 February 2012 following successful negotiation between both parties. I understand that lawyers representing the remaining 13 lot owners are currently negotiating detailed terms for the mutual agreement.

Naturally, there is bound to be some objections from a few. Again, my reading of news reports tell me that only owners of two lots in Jalan Sultan are not in favour of the mutual agreement. But the few have to bear this in mind – your decision affects the greater majority. In this case, the two lot owners’ decision greatly affects 6 million city dwellers who are waiting anxiously for an integrated, reliable and efficient public transportation network. Me included!

Sure, it all sounds easy as all we need to do is decide on the solution that most agree on. But in reality, apart from the directly-concerned parties, there are also two other parties that exist: the silent majority and the ‘amplifiers’. A distortion of a message usually happens when the ‘amplifiers’ try to influence the silent majority. Indeed, I see the present gridlock in Jalan Sultan has caused by this particular group who has forced their personal opinions on the silent majority, projecting them, not the impacted landowners, as the main concerned parties.

I feel that the effective way to deal with this situation is to educate, engage and empower the silent majority. Let them understand the importance of their involvement in the issue. Let it be known that the rakyat needs the MRT. 

I am an eternal optimist, my glass is always half full. I am confident that at the end of the day, with integrity and honesty guiding our actions, we can achieve a shared consensus geared towards a common goal - making the MRT a reality for the majority of the rakyat who need it.