The Segambut MP said there was no comparison between a public transport system that was less than a year old to that of systems that had been around for more than a hundred years or even decades.
“It is a joke for Prime Minister Najib Razak to compare a newborn baby, Malaysia’s MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line (MRT-SBK), to the subway systems in New York and London, both of which are more than 100 years old, as well as to the 40-year-old MTR system in Hong Kong.
“What is the comparative basis between our just completed RM21 billion MRT-SBK line launched yesterday afternoon by Najib, supposedly with the latest technology, against the long-existing and proven train systems in New York, London and Hong Kong?” Lim asked.
He added that Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai and other members of the cabinet had best resign if “this claim turns out to be another farce”.
Lim called for the government to instead carry out a month-long or year-long satisfaction survey to properly gauge the quality of the country’s first MRT network.
The second phase of the MRT line was launched by Najib yesterday, extending the first phase – Sungei Buloh to Semantan (Damansara) launched last December – all the way to Kajang.
The first phase of 21km, with 12 stations, is now extended to 51km with an additional 19 stations, seven of which are underground.
Lim also touched on the ticketing systems and benefits for some segments of society when using the subway or MRT lines overseas.
“As incentives, train companies in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and many other cities encourage passengers to buy travel passes at huge discounts for convenience.
“Discounts are given to senior citizens, students, persons with disabilities and even for off-peak travellers. However, our MRT has none of these, except for a petty discount for Touch ‘n Go users,” he said.
He called on the government to come out with various discounted travel passes for different categories of users, including those that can be used by tourists.
“Perhaps Malaysia can then claim to have the cheapest MRT travel pass in the world?”