Monorail derailed

On Tuesday (22/4/08) Pak Lah told Penangites that the 32 Km Second Penang Bridge project will be delayed for another nine months due to problems in buying land (land acquisition), design and the rising cost of building materials. (Pak Lah should be consulting the ex-DCM Rashid about the land part.He was the wheeler-dealer on land matters with the previous state govt.) Any developer knows that land acquisition should be cleared up first before planning any project. micro or mega. Land-owners are smarter now, not like their grandpas in the old days. Hope that our bridge contractor from China is not hopping mad for being made to wait to start work. Original estimated cost RM3.6 billion, now shot up to RM4.3 billion.In nine months time RM 10 billion ? (I say, if you can't get the site or you don't have the money, drop the project, or move it to a shorter route.) On Saturday (26/4/08) MOF2 Nor Mohamed, told the state Federal Action Council meeting that some proposed mega-works in Penang have not been approved yet, namely the mono-rail and Penang Outer Ring Road. (I hope the islanders can live without these projects. I'd be very glad if both these projects are dumped.) On Sunday (27/4/08) Ex-CM Tsu Koon clarified that he had stated that federal projects commited to before elections will go on. Today, Nor Mohamed came down off his high horse and said the Federal govt is sincere about working with the Penang-PR govt and has no intention of cancelling projects under the 9th Malaysia Plan. He said the purpose of the Penang FAC meeting was to call for more cooperation from the state govt. (Well now, who's the next minister to come and punish Penangites for voting PR ?)