Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Monday April 7, 2008
Brakes on bus lease scheme
PENANG: Bus operators here have been told to stop leasing their buses to drivers.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said they would face the music if they refused.

He said the lease scheme, which involves drivers paying a certain amount for rental and maintenance, has given the state’s public transportation system a bad image.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Chow said the bus operators should look into substituting the lease system with a salary scheme, which would enable the drivers to follow a proper time and route schedule.

He said that under the lease system, drivers claimed they got better income and did not have to be on the road during off-peak hours.

“The state is against the lease system.”

He alleged that the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), was well aware of the problem but had failed to act against these operators.

He said the state also would not hesitate to endorse Citizens for Public Transport (Cepat) plans to take legal action against CVLB for allegedly failing to regulate and supervise the bus system in the state.

He said that although the state had not fixed any time frame for the bus operators to do away with the system, it was nevertheless “very, very serious'’ in its caution to the operators.

When contacted, CVLB chairman Datuk Markiman Kobiran asked the state and Cepat to submit a written complaint to the board with details of bus companies that were using the lease system.

“Give me the details. Which bus company is using this system? How many buses? What are the bus numbers? We need all these data before we can act,” he added.

He said that to date, CVLB had yet to receive any official complaint from any party regarding the matter.

“If they submit an official complaint to us complete with details, then we will take the necessary action.

“If we still fail to take action after submission of these complaints, then they can proceed and take legal action against us,'’ he added.

Friday April 11, 2008
Shocked over calls for fewer buses
IT was indeed shocking to read in The Star (April calls by Transit Link and KGN-Hin Bus for the state government to reduce the number of Rapid Penang buses plying Penang streets!

Are they not aware that the people of Penang actually want an increase in frequency of buses, which requires more buses to be on the road?

As a bus user myself, I would like to see MORE buses on the road - not fewer. Several routes currently have buses arriving every 45 minutes and even every 90 minutes.

The ‘new kid on the block’ Rapid Penang has won over many loyal customers despite the monopoly the other bus operators have enjo-yed for a long time.

Bus operators thus have to accept that passengers today demand good, clean and fast service.

State Local Goverment, Traffic Management and Environment Committee Chairman Chow Kon Yeow is doing the right thing in giving the bus operators an ultimatum to change their ways and for taking to task CVLB for failing to take action despite so many complaints by the public.

The public’s call to take these operators off the roads have been loud and clear.

Besides, The Star has clearly repor-ted drivers and bosses of these bus operators admitting that the ‘pajak’ system is very much alive in various forms.

JOACHIM F. XAVIER,

Penang.

Saturday April 12, 2008

PENANG has lodged a complaint to the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board’s (CVLB) over errant bus operators who leased out their vehicles.

On Wednesday, a letter was sent to board chairman Datuk Markiman Kobiran, state Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said in a press statement yesterday.

Among the points highlighted were that all bus operators on the island except for Rapid Pe-nang had admitted to practising the lease system; the problem was repeatedly discussed by the board and state and reported in the media; drivers who leased the vehicles could be spotted competing amongst themselves for passengers, parking at bus stops to wait for passengers and only plying lucrative routes; and that the CVLB schedule was re-peatedly ignored by errant drivers which bus operators have little control over.

Chow also urged Markiman to address the bus lease system problem in the state.

“The state will give the CVLB its full support and we are confident that with the commitment of the board and Entrepreneurial Development and Co-operative Ministry, the state’s public transportation system can be improved,” the statement read.

On April 7, it was reported that the CVLB had “not received any official complaint from any par-ty” regarding the problematic lease scheme among bus operators in the state.

Markiman reportedly said that if details including the name and number of the bus companies practising the lease system were disclosed, the board would take necessary action.

Scomi Engineering Bids For Monorail Projects Worth Billions

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) — Scomi Engineering Bhd has submitted bids worth billions of ringgit for monorail projects in Iran, Vietnam, Madinah and Penang, its senior vice president Hilmy Zaini Zainal said Thursday.

The company’s bid for the project in Iran is worth RM2.5 billion, in Vietnam it is RM1.2 billion, in Madinah US$500 million (US$1=RM3.44) and in Penang about RM1.2 billion.

“Basically these are the projects that we are actually waiting for quite a while. But we are ready to implement the projects,” Hilmy told reporters after the company’s annual general meeting here today.

He said Scomi Engineering, which is involved in energy and logictics engineering, had completed the feasibility, environmental impact and alignment studies for the monorail projects.

However, he said, the announcement on the bids would take a while as it involved various governments.

“The proposals have been given to the respective governments but no award yet. It will take time. There are many processes involved,” he said.

Scomi Engineering expects to know the outcome of the four bids in the next six to 12 months.

Hilmy also hoped that the result on the Penang monorail project would be announced by end of the year.

He said the potential project would be undertaken by its new wholly-owned subsidiary Mtrans Transportation Sdn Bhd.

Scomi Engineering now owns the entire stake in MTrans, an urban transit system provider, following the completion of its acquisition of the remaining nine percent stake in Mtrans for RM5.625 million from Azam Kirana (M) Sdn Bhd today.

Hilmy said Scomi Engineering was in the midst of completing its second generation monorail prototype.

The new monorail which is expected to to be completed by July will have enhanced performance, a new body system, composite body and will be also lighter and much cheaper, he said.

Millions of ringgit was involved in the research and developement for the new monorail, he added.

He said that Scomi Engineering was also planning to build two new monorail manufacturing plants.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2006, Scomi Engineering posted a pre-tax profit of RM41.09 million on the back of RM324 million in revenue.

— BERNAMA

Today I attended the morning session of a Forum on Public Transport for Disadvantaged Groups in Penang. It is organized by Asia Community Service with nine other NGOs to discuss the needs of the disadvantaged groups for accessible public transportation in the State.

This forum is held at an opportune time since RapidPenang is going to start operation latest August.

I heard several experts in this field and resource persons with disabilities from KL, JB and Singapore shared their experiences and knowledge.

I left with a deep impression that PWD is part of us and they would not be deterred in their struggle. They want us to look at their abilities, not their disabilities.

Their message to politicians is to come and work with them not just to pity them.

Thank you for your sharing.

On 4 April I asked in Parliament what action the government would take to counter negative remarks made by foreign car critics Jeremy Clarkson.

What did Jeremy said about the Perodua Kelisa.

“This is without doubt the worst car, not just in its category but in the world”.

This comment infuriated the government. Deputy Minister Suliman Abdul Raman said that Perodua would always be proactive in improving quality and services.

Just over a month, Perodua launched the ViVA to replace the Kelisa.

If Kelisa is so good, then why stop it? Although I do not agree with Clarkson, there must be basic in the complaints that Kelisa lacks safety features to absorb the impact during accidents.

It is good to hear that the ViVA would have more safety features especially the doors.

Maybe Jeremy Clarkson would come out with better appraisal for the ViVA. Hope he does not have to blow up the ViVA to see how good it is.

DR.29.3.2007 23
[Soalan No. 19 – Dato’ Haji Che Min bin Che Ahmad (Pasir Puteh) tidak hadir]
20. Tuan Chow Kon Yeow [Tanjong] minta Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan
Koperasi menyatakan mengapa kerajaan masih gagal melaksanakan suatu sistem
pengangkutan awam termasuk perkhidmatan bas dan teksi yang efisien di negeri Pulau Pinang
dan bagaimana Tabung Pengangkutan Awam digunakan setakat ini.
Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi [Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin
Nordin]: Tuan Yang di-Pertua, untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat. Kerajaan menyedari
masalah pengangkutan awam di Pulau Pinang khususnya pengangkutan bas berhenti-henti
dan teksi. Sungguhpun kerajaan telah pun menyusun semula dan melancarkan sistem pakej
bagi meningkatkan mutu perkhidmatan bas di Pulau Pinang mulai bulan April 2006, tetapi para
pengusaha masih gagal untuk memberikan perkhidmatan yang dapat memenuhi aspektasi
orang ramai. (more…)