LETTERS: As a resident of Penang who is sick and tired of being stuck in traffic jams, I have a vested interest in the Mutiara light rail transit project announced by the state government.
The LRT is what we want, as was promised to Penang voters. Remember the Penang Unity Manifesto 2023? It's Penang LRT, not ART (autonomous rail rapid transit).
It would be unfair if the project was scaled down to an untested system with an unproven track record to lower the cost.
Many of us are aware that some parties have been lobbying for a trackless tram or ART that runs on dedicated lanes on the road, but any layperson can tell you that it is inapplicable in Penang, where many roads are narrow.
How efficient can ART be when it is stuck in traffic because it has to share the road with vehicles?
I want to stress that Penangites want the LRT and expect nothing less. We do not want any other system that does not guarantee long-term relief.
I am saying all this because I am grateful for the RM10 billion in funding from the federal government for this project.
And by the time we go back to the ballot box in three or four years to vote for our representatives, we expect to see the Mutiara LRT nearing completion.
After all, the state and federal governments promised an operational Mutiara LRT by 2030.
SIMON LAU
Penang
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times