The distance from my home to my place of work is only 26 km. Driving at government approved speed limit of 80 km per hour, it should only takes me 19.5 minutes to reach the office. Taking kiasu, blur and jakun drivers who are road pests by themselves into consideration, I usually leave the house at 7:00 a.m, on a working day. Even then it took me at the very least 45 minutes to travel the distance, one hour being the norm. As a law abiding citizen I drive at not more than 80 kph depending on traffic conditions.
With the Government Transformation Program (GTP) and NKRA (especially the NKRA to improve public transportation) running for some years now, I decided to test the truth of claims that the GTP and public transportation NKRA, is making the quality of life more bearable for long suffering Malaysians.
On 31 January 2012, I take my own sweet time as my office day starts at 9:00 in the morning. I drive out at 7:23 a.m, leaving me with about 37 minutes before my punch card turns red. Since there’s a drizzle that morning, I reckoned it will add about 30 minutes to my commuting time, leaving me with 7 minutes to spare.
Because I decided to put a little bit of faith in the government proclaimations of successes in the various initiatives to improve the quality of life of the ordinary rakyat, that Tuesday morning I arrived at the office at 9:15 a.m, after 1 hour and 55 minutes of driving a mere distance of 26 km. No wonder malaysian ministers have police outriders to clear the road. If in Singapore, I guess I would have driven around the entire island during that time. Anyway this is malaysia kan!
I am not blaming anybody for the almost 2 hours I’m stuck in traffic. In a police district, the district head of the anti secret societies, gaming & vice branch of the CID will be held responsible if gambling and/or vice activities are rampant because suppressing such activities is his portfolio. Accountable for failure to eradicate such activities,however, will be the OCPD or officer in charge of police district, because it is among his duties to ensure that the various departments under his command carries out their jobs.
SPAD, RTD, JPJ, the Traffic Police and not forgetting the Ministry of Transport is responsible for ensuring that public transportation in Malaysia does not cause high blood pressures and mental illness amongst drivers using malaysia’s public transport or public roads. The question that needs to be asked, is, ultimately who is responsible for ensuring that these department does it’s job?
Should not the prime minister of this country be held accountable for our chaotic public transportation system? Think about it.
On that note, my humblest and sincere apologies for deserting my blog for the last one month. Many times have I thought about abandoning KACA MATAKU because if intellectuals and thinkers who takes their time to present alternative views in their writings can’t change the “lembu cucuk hidung” psyche of the malaysian voting public especially my race, the melayus, what can a half cooked old man like me do. Thanks to Allah s.w.t, I changed my mind. Therfore this posting on the day of my birth, 59 years ago.
Until we meet again, here’s driving in malaysia with a loaf of bread in your car to butter away the time when you meet the inevitable traffic jam. Bye!!!!!!
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