In the news earlier today, the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) and monorail projects were put in doubt. Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who was in Penang to chair the state’s first Federal Action Council meeting yesterday, said that no commitment could be given as yet as both projects have not reached the level where approval is being considered. The news comes just days after an announcement that the Second Link (2nd Penang Bridge) project is expected to suffer a considerable delay in completion.

By evening, the latest news to surface says that the Federal Government remains sincere in working with the Penang State Government to fulfill the projects announced under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

Personally, I feel we could do without the PORR - instead, use the billions of RM intended for the PORR to develop a comprehensive, well planned and efficient public transport system in the form of a monorail and/or light rail transit (LRT). Such systems would be far more useful to a wider section of the population.