Malaysia’s MRT 'on the right track' despite some hiccups

KUALA LUMPUR — It was a bold statement that sparked plenty of debate, but Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak’s claims that Kuala Lumpur’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network is superior to the systems in London and New York, and on par with Singapore’s, may not be wide off the mark, with many Malaysians giving the country’s newest transportation system their stamp of approval.

Mr Najib, who made that declaration during the launch of the second phase of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) MRT line earlier this month, had then also labelled Malaysia’s MRT system the “most modern” in the world.

The entire 51km SBK line, which costs RM21 billion (S$6.7 billion) to construct, connects the suburb of Sungai Buloh in northern Selangor to the township of Kajang, a constituency of about 100,000 people located in the south of the state.

Phase one of the MRT system, which began operations in December, connected Sungai Buloh to Semantan via 12 stations.

With the launch of the second phase, another 19 stations – starting from Muzium Negara and ending at Kajang – have been added to the line.

RELIABLE AND CONVENIENT, BUT UNDERUTILISED

A fortnight after the completion of the SBK line, Malaysians interviewed by TODAY gave positive reviews of the new MRT system even though some of them encountered some minor issues. 

When TODAY visited the Kajang station earlier this week, several commuters were seen struggling to navigate the functions of the ticketing machines, which requires one to spell the name of the destination station.

The MRT also currently appears to be underutilised – seats were readily available, even during the peak-hour between 6pm and 7pm at the Muzium Negara station, which is a mere five-minute walk to the adjoining KL Sentral transportation hub.

Each train, which is fully automated, consists of four coach cabins, and has a capacity of 1,200 passengers.

It took TODAY 40 minutes to travel from the Kajang station to Muzium Negara, covering a distance of about 30km.

According to MRT Corp, the trains can run at a top speed of 98kmh although it usually travels at around 40kmh.

Trains arrived regularly on average every four minutes, and there was no delay experienced during TODAY’s journey on the SBK line.

The electronic boards displaying the trains’ arrival times were also accurate, while TODAY observed that the trains and its facilities were well-maintained and litter-free.

Commuters told TODAY they were happy with their experience on the MRT, citing its cleanliness, reliability and convenience as features they were most pleased with.

Ms Eman Elfourtia, a student who lives in Kajang, said that the MRT has helped to decrease her travelling time to her school in the city centre.

“The trains come at regular timings and there are no delays at all,” the 20-year-old said.

“Previously, when I had to rely on the KTM line to go downtown, the trains were sometimes delayed and didn’t come as frequently.

“But using the SBK trains has helped me cut down my travelling time by about 20 minutes because they’re much smoother and faster. I’m also able to get seats easily because not many people are using it for now.”

For Ms Noorwansafira, 29, who works as an analyst at multinational food & beverage company Nestle, it also means she is now able to check out lunch places further from her office.

“The MRT has increased the accessibility to places in KL, and it’s certainly made things a lot easier for me because the stations are very conveniently located and it stops at the places which I frequent,” she said.

“Compared to the other lines, I feel the facilities of the SBK MRT are much better,” she added. “I suppose it’s because it’s new, so everything is still clean and working well.”

BUSINESSES EXPECT A BOOST

Commuters are not the only ones who stand to benefit from the completion of the SBK line.

MRT Corp strategic communications and stakeholder relations director Najmuddin Abdullah had said that the line would connect 44 shopping locations, 11 schools and higher learning institutions, as well as a number of hospitals.

Shop owners along the line expect a spike in their business in the months to come because of the increased accessibility that the MRT provides.

Mr Saber Hossain, who owns a toy shop at Muzium Negara, said that he has experienced a 20 per cent increase in business since the MRT was completed.

“There are more people walking past my shop now, and business has picked up a bit over the last week,” the 32-year-old said.

“So I’m very happy that the MRT is up, especially as my shop is quite near one of the exits of the station.

“But I expect business to pick up even more in future as people get more used to taking the MRT.”

Agreeing, Mr Chan Chee Wah, who has run a fruit juice stall at Bukit Bintang for the past 13 years, estimates it will take at least another three more months before Malaysians begin to fully embrace the MRT.

“It’ll take time for people to adapt to the new MRT system because now everybody is still used to driving,” he explained.

“Hopefully then we’ll see a substantial surge of people coming to this area.”

But not all shops have experienced the benefits of the MRT line just yet.

Mobile accessories shop owner Mr Ripan Ripan says his business is still poor even though his stall is just 100m away from the Bukit Bintang MRT station exit.

“There are more people in the area, yes, but that doesn’t mean they come to buy my things,” he said, adding that that could be because most commuters are locals whereas he caters mainly to a tourist clientele.

“So hopefully as the MRT becomes more popular, tourists start to use the train and more of them will come here.”

Mr Chan also voiced concern that the new SBK line could lead to landlords charging higher rents in future.

“Property prices around the area have increased significantly due to the completion of the MRT,” he said.

“So this means that landlords are now able to charge higher for rental, and from my understanding, some of the shops nearby have already had their rent increased,” he added.

“Thankfully, my rent has remained the same for now. But if they increase my rent, I’ll close up shop immediately.”

Some taxi drivers also fear that with more commuters taking to riding the train, less people will use their services going forward.

Said Mr Ahmad Yasif, who has been a taxi driver for seven years: “Of course we are afraid that people will now use the train instead of taking taxis. But what can we do?

“It’s more affordable for them, so it’s understandable if they want to take the train instead.”

But another taxi driver, Mr Kamsan Bin Kili, instead believes the MRT will have positive impact on their business in the long-term.

“With a much better and modern transportation system, we’ll be able to attract more tourists to the country,” Mr Kasman explained.

FEWER CARS ON THE ROAD

According to Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission, around 1.1 million people currently travel by train and buses in Kuala Lumpur daily.

It is estimated that the number will swell by another 400,000 with the launch of the SBK line – the first phase of the line had seen an average of 15,000 commuters taking the MRT daily, recording a total of two million passengers over the span of six months.

Mr Najib had also said that the new MRT line would likely lead to a decrease of about 160,000 vehicles on the roads.

A Kajang resident, who only identified himself as Mr Foong, told TODAY that he would use his car less in future due to the MRT.

“This new MRT provides an alternative transportation option for us other than driving, where we face traffic jams regularly,” said Mr Foong, who works as an assistant manager at Resorts World Genting.

“The price of taking the MRT is also quite reasonable and much lower than what we have to pay for the road tolls and petrol. So I’ll definitely be using the MRT more rather than the car from now on.”

According to Mr Najib, the expected drop in the number of vehicles on the road will also see carbon dioxide emission being reduced by an estimated 750,000 tonnes annually.

But not all Malaysians are willing to give up their cars for the MRT just yet.

Said 20-year-old Mr Ong Kah Kong, a student: “I personally prefer to drive wherever I go because I find it more convenient, especially if I’m going to multiple destinations.

“Perhaps I’ll consider taking the train if I’m heading to just one place and back, but generally, I think I’ll still stick to driving because I’m so used to it already. It’s a case of old habits die hard…”

While the SBK line has had an encouraging start since its launch, it has already been subject to several cases of vandalism in the past week.

Last Sunday, MRT Corp’s Mr Najmuddin posted on Facebook page pictures depicting a spoilt toilet, scratches on the benches and walls of MRT stations, as well as a broomstick and a broken spotlight on the rooftop of a Bukit Bintang station exit.

The post, which has since gone viral, saw Malaysian netizens lashing out at the vandals and their actions.

Mr Ong believes that while the MRT can currently be considered “first-class”, Malaysians will need to learn to take care of it in order for it to remain that way.

“The MRT is still new, so only time will tell whether it’ll be a success or not,” said Mr Ong.

“Like what Datuk Najmiddin says, it’s currently a top-class facility, but if Malaysians have a third-class mentality, then it won’t be long before it falls into disrepair,” he added.

“So I hope that we will treat it better and be thankful for this new MRT system.”