Implementation of public transport system will be on time

PETALING JAYA: There will be no delay in the implementation of the public transport system projects despite the shortage of foreign workers in certain sectors, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Government, he said, was committed to ensuring that all of its initiatives aimed at improving the public transport system would not be delayed despite being in the midst of fine-tuning the hiring process of foreign workers based on demand by each industry.

“Although there are already close to two million legal foreign workers in the country, emplo­yers are still facing some shorta­ges.

“We will ensure that no projects are delayed but if this is inevitable, it should be at the very minimal,” Dr Ahmad Zahid said at the 16th International Association of Public Transport (UiTP) Asia-Pacific Assembly here yesterday.

The country, he said, had em­­barked on the transformation of its public transport services, with an immediate emphasis on the city and also greater Klang Valley, where 37% of the gross domestic product was derived from.

“At the end of last year, the public transport modal share for greater Kuala Lumpur stood at 25% while for other cities in the country, this was at 8%,” added Dr Ahmad Zahid.

Among the projects to boost the public transport system were the Rapid KL’s LRT Extension Plan, the opening of Phase 1 of the MRT Line 1 from Sungai Buloh to Kajang in December as well as the Putrajaya Urban Railway project, which are currently in the pipeline, he said.

“For the bus services, we are excited to have a second Bus Rapid Transit project for the Klang Valley in the pipeline and, to date, have rolled out the stage bus service transformation programme for 11 cities in the country.

“We are also in the midst of planning for the high-speed rail project which will connect the central business district of Kuala Lumpur to downtown Singapore within 90 minutes,” Dr Ahmad Zahid said.

The Cabinet last Thursday had lifted the freeze on the hiring of foreign workers for four sectors, according to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The decision was made in light of appeals from the manufactu­ring, construction, plantation and furniture-making industries, which are facing a major shor­tage of workers.

The Star reported recently that a Federation of Malaysian Manu­facturers survey showed that 84% of manufacturers were fa­­cing labour shortage, with half of them claiming that they had not been able to fulfil existing orders.

The survey also showed that 146 companies required 13,270 new workers this year to meet their business needs and replace unfit or returning workers.